Population genetics and molecular xenomonitoring of Biomphalaria freshwater snails along the southern shoreline of Lake Malawi, Malawi.

Autor: Archer J; Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK. john.archer@lstmed.ac.uk.; Wolfson Wellcome Biomedical Laboratories, Department of Zoology, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, UK. john.archer@lstmed.ac.uk., Cunningham LJ; Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK., Juhász A; Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK.; Institute of Medical Microbiology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, 1089, Hungary., Jones S; Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK., Reed AL; Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK., Yeo SM; Department of Clinical Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, UK., Mainga B; Laboratory Department, Mangochi District Hospital, P.O. Box 42, Mangochi, Malawi., Chammudzi P; Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi.; Department of Pathology, School of Medicine and Oral Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS), Blantyre, Malawi., Kapira DR; Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi.; Department of Pathology, School of Medicine and Oral Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS), Blantyre, Malawi., Lally D; Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi.; Department of Pathology, School of Medicine and Oral Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS), Blantyre, Malawi., Namacha G; Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi.; Department of Pathology, School of Medicine and Oral Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS), Blantyre, Malawi., Makaula P; Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi., LaCourse JE; Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK., Kayuni SA; Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK.; Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi.; Department of Pathology, School of Medicine and Oral Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS), Blantyre, Malawi., Webster BL; Wolfson Wellcome Biomedical Laboratories, Department of Zoology, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, UK., Musaya J; Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi.; Department of Pathology, School of Medicine and Oral Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS), Blantyre, Malawi., Stothard JR; Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Parasites & vectors [Parasit Vectors] 2024 Dec 18; Vol. 17 (1), pp. 521. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Dec 18.
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06546-5
Abstrakt: Background: Intestinal schistosomiasis was confirmed endemic in Mangochi District, Malawi, in May of 2018 following an unexpected encounter with discreet populations of Biomphalaria spp. freshwater snails during routine malacological surveillance activities. Since then, only limited malacological surveillance of Biomphalaria has been carried out, and so the distribution of Biomphalaria populations in this area is currently unclear. Additionally, sites of active Schistosoma mansoni transmission in this area are also unknown. In the present study, through extensive malacological surveillance, we aimed to formally document the distribution of Biomphalaria in Mangochi District. We also aimed to identify active intestinal schistosomiasis transmission sites in this area through subjecting all collected Biomphalaria to a recently developed S. mansoni-specific molecular xenomonitoring PCR.
Methods: Three malacological surveys were carried out along the southern shoreline of Lake Malawi, Mangochi District, Malawi, in November 2021, July 2022 and October/November 2022. All collected Biomphalaria were subjected to cercarial shedding analysis to identify active Schistosoma infections. Shed cercariae were then genotyped to species level using a standard multi-locus PCR and Sanger sequencing protocol. Following this, a subset of Biomphalaria from each collection site were also genotyped to species level using a standard PCR and Sanger sequencing protocol. All collected Biomphalaria were then subjected to a recently developed S. mansoni-specific molecular xenomonitoring PCR to identify infected, but non-shedding, Biomphalaria.
Results: A total of 589 Biomphalaria were collected across all three surveys. One single Biomphalaria (0.17%) specimen was found to be actively shedding Schistosoma cercariae, which were molecularly confirmed as S. mansoni. All genotyped Biomphalaria (n = 42) were molecularly identified as B. pfeifferi. A further 19 Biomphalaria specimens, collected from four different surveillance sites, were found to be infected with S. mansoni through molecular xenomonitoring. Intestinal schistosomiasis transmission was therefore identified at four different foci in Mangochi District.
Conclusions: Our study highlights the importance of molecular approaches to investigate Biomphalaria populations and monitor Biomphalaria-associated intestinal schistosomiasis transmission in endemic areas. As such, the continued development and use of such approaches, in particular the development and use of molecular xenomonitoring assays that can be carried out in resource-poor schistosomiasis-endemic settings, is encouraged. The revision of ongoing schistosomiasis control programmes in Mangochi District, in line with WHO recommendations, is also encouraged.
Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
(© 2024. Crown.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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