Whole-genome sequence of Schistosoma haematobium

Abstract

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by blood flukes (genus Schistosoma; schistosomes) and affecting 200 million people worldwide1. No vaccines are available, and treatment relies on one drug, praziquantel2. Schistosoma haematobium has come into the spotlight as a major cause of urogenital disease, as an agent linked to bladder cancer1,3 and as a predisposing factor for HIV/AIDS4,5. The parasite is transmitted to humans from freshwater snails1. Worms dwell in blood vessels and release eggs that become embedded in the bladder wall to elicit chronic immune-mediated disease6 and induce squamous cell carcinoma7. Here we sequenced the 385-Mb genome of S. haematobium using Illumina-based technology at 74-fold coverage and compared it to sequences from related parasites8,9. We included genome annotation based on function, gene ontology, networking and pathway mapping. This genome now provides an unprecedented resource for many fundamental research areas and shows great promise for the design of new disease interventions.