Population genomics reveals multi-scale mechanisms sustaining schistosomiasis re-emergence in a near-elimination setting
PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases·
- DOI
- 10.1371/journal.pntd.0014202
- PMID
- —
- PMCID
- —
- OpenAlex
- —
- Study type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Public Library of Science (PLoS)
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
The work illustrates how genomic data can uncover hidden persistence and transmission patterns in multi-host parasite systems and may complement conventional epidemiological monitoring.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
What population-genomic processes may help explain persistence and renewed transmission of Schistosoma japonicum in a low-transmission area of Sichuan, China?
Study design
The supplied article reports a population-genomic study using whole-genome sequencing of miracidia from human hosts sampled in 2007, shortly after recent re-emergence reports.
Population and setting
The setting is schistosomiasis in human hosts across 17 villages in Sichuan Province, China, with 270 miracidia collected from 53 hosts.
Main findings
The parasite population was broadly cohesive across the region, with weak geographic structure, substantial diversity, and no recent decline in estimated effective size. Some villages showed lower diversity and higher inbreeding, consistent with localized transmission from relatively small parasite populations. Relatedness patterns indicated dense within-village sibling clusters plus cross-village relationships, and host-level worm-burden estimates varied widely.
Public-health relevance
The work illustrates how genomic data can uncover hidden persistence and transmission patterns in multi-host parasite systems and may complement conventional epidemiological monitoring.
Important limitations
The abstract explicitly notes that uneven sampling limits absolute estimates of reproducing worm pairs. This summary is also limited to the supplied single-article abstract and metadata, so the original paper is needed for decision-grade interpretation.
GIDS interpretation
Classifier metadata places the article under Schistosomiasis, China, and topics including surveillance and transmission dynamics. The title and abstract provide contextual clues about a low-transmission setting and renewed transmission, but this summary does not connect the paper to any live surveillance signal.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 6 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.