Abstract
BackgroundSchistosoma japonicum is a significant public health risk in parts of China and elsewhere in Southeast Asia. To gain an insight into the epidemiology of schistosomiasis japonica, a detailed investigation of S. japonicum genetic population structure is needed.MethodsUsing three mitochondrial DNA fragments and ten microsatellite loci, we investigated the genetic diversity within and structure among twelve populations of S. japonicum sampled on a geographical scale covering most major endemic areas.ResultsSchistosoma japonicum lineages from Indonesia, the Philippines and Chinese Taiwan were clearly distinct from each other and from those in mainland China. Within mainland China, there was some evidence for genetic divergence between populations from the mountain and lake regions. However, the analysis inferred no clear sub-population structure in the lake region of mainland China. High genetic diversity was found among S. japonicum populations of mainland China and this was significantly higher than those from island regions.ConclusionsHigh genetic diversity within and substantial differentiation among populations were demonstrated in S. japonicum.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-015-0757-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Schistosoma japonicum is a significant public health risk in parts of China and elsewhere in Southeast Asia
S. mansoni is endemic in Africa, the Middle East and South America and S. haematobium is found in Africa and the Middle East, whereas S. japonicum occurs in China, Indonesia and the Philippines
Tremendous efforts over the last 20–30 years have reduced the prevalence of S. japonicum in China by more than 90% [4], recent indications are that schistosomiasis has re-emerged in certain areas over the last decade [5]
Summary
To gain an insight into the epidemiology of schistosomiasis japonica, a detailed investigation of S. japonicum genetic population structure is needed. S. mansoni is endemic in Africa, the Middle East and South America and S. haematobium is found in Africa and the Middle East, whereas S. japonicum occurs in China, Indonesia and the Philippines. At present, this parasite is endemic in China in the lake/marshland regions of Anhui, Hubei, Hunan and Jiangxi provinces and in the mountainous areas of Sichuan and Yunnan provinces [3]. To gain an insight into the transmission and epidemiology of Asian schistosomiasis, a detailed investigation of S. japonicum population genetic structure is required
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