Hybridized Zoonotic Schistosoma Infections Result in Hybridized Morbidity Profiles: A Clinical Morbidity Study amongst Co-Infected Human Populations of Senegal

Abstract

Hybridization of infectious agents is a major emerging public and veterinary health concern at the interface of evolution, epidemiology, and control. Whilst evidence of the extent of hybridization amongst parasites is increasing, their impact on morbidity remains largely unknown. This may be predicted to be particularly pertinent where parasites of animals with contrasting pathogenicity viably hybridize with human parasites. Recent research has revealed that viable zoonotic hybrids between human urogenital Schistosoma haematobium with intestinal Schistosoma species of livestock, notably Schistosoma bovis, can be highly prevalent across Africa and beyond. Examining human populations in Senegal, we found increased hepatic but decreased urogenital morbidity, and reduced improvement following treatment with praziquantel, in those infected with zoonotic hybrids compared to non-hybrids. Our results have implications for effective monitoring and evaluation of control programmes, and demonstrate for the first time the potential impact of parasite hybridizations on host morbidity.

Chromosome-level genome of Schistosoma haematobium underpins genome-wide explorations of molecular variation

“…The chromosome-level genome assembly for an Egyptian strain of S. haematobium adds important resources to the schistosome '-omics' reference toolkit. For example, this genome should accelerate large-scale population investigations and provide a unique opportunity to study the implications of genomic admixture, including its effect on biological and/or disease traits, morbidity and/or the effectiveness of control programs [51,52], including mass drug administration (MDA) [53]. The present resource should also enable future functional genomics investigations of S. haematobium [54][55][56] and facilitate investigations of the fundamental pathobiology of this important parasite using an integrative proteomic, glycomic and lipidomic approach.…”

Improving anthelmintic treatment for schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiases through sharing and reuse of individual participant data

“…• Testing, comparison and recommendations on optimal statistical approaches for IPD (meta-) analyses using 'gold standard' datasets Short-/mid-term the pioneering work of the Worldwide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN) in tracking the emergence and spread of artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Southeast Asia 46 . This would provide an overview of the current geographical picture of anthelmintic responses, and spur more detailed analysis of the IPD hosted by the platform to identify drivers of geographical and temporal heterogeneity, particularly with respect to PC history.…”

“…There also exists evidence that repeated doses of praziquantel may improve responses 50 and that co-administration of food increases bioavailability 51 , 52 , which is increasingly recommended as best practice in MDA. Moreover, the efficacy of praziquantel is variable against different Schistosoma species 53 —with little yet known on the susceptibility of hybrids 54 – 56 —indicating that modified regimens could be recommended where either intestinal or urogenital infections dominate.…”

Documento de consenso para el manejo de la esquistosomiasis en atención primaria

“…Un hecho relevante y cada vez más frecuente es la aparición de híbridos entre varias especies humanas y animales (fundamentalmente S. bovis, S. curassoni, S. mattheei ) 10 , lo que puede complicar de forma importante las campañas para su erradicación.…”