Abstract
Schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease caused by parasitic flatworms of the genus Schistosoma, results in considerable human morbidity in sub-Saharan Africa, in particular, but also parts of the Middle East, South America, and Southeast Asia. The anti-schistosome drug praziquantel is efficacious and safe against the adult parasites of all Schistosoma species infecting humans; however, it does not prevent reinfection and the development of drug resistance is a constant concern. The need to develop an effective vaccine is of great importance if the health of many in the developing world is to be improved. Indeed, vaccination, in combination with other public health measures, can provide an invaluable tool to achieve lasting control, leading to schistosomiasis elimination. Australia has played a leading role in schistosomiasis vaccine research over many years and this review presents an overview of some of the significant contributions made by Australian scientists in this important area.
Highlights
The neglected tropical parasitic disease of schistosomiasis, caused by blood flukes of the genus Schistosoma, has long been a scourge of humankind
These reside in the pelvic (Schistosoma haematobium) or mesenteric (Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma japonicum) veins, where the female worms lay eggs, many of which are released to the external environment in urine or stool and hatch in water to release miracidia which seek and penetrate a specific molluscan host and continue the parasite life cycle [2]
The development of an effective vaccine is of considerable importance to improve the public health of many and in 2016, Science ranked the development of a vaccine for schistosomiasis as one of the top 10 needed, based on feasibility and necessity
Summary
The neglected tropical parasitic disease of schistosomiasis, caused by blood flukes of the genus Schistosoma, has long been a scourge of humankind It results in considerable morbidity, even leading to death, in sub-Saharan Africa, parts of South America, the Middle. Formidable hurdles remain and we do not yet have available a commercial product, the development and positioning of an effective vaccine within the spectrum of disease control approaches has long been the goal of many researchers globally. In this respect, Australia has been at the masthead of schistosomiasis vaccine research, an area in which it has a rich history. This article provides a chronology of, arguably, some of the more important contributions made by Australian scientists in schistosomiasis vaccine development over the past 45 years
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