Barcoding hybrids: heterogeneous distribution of Schistosoma haematobium × Schistosoma bovis hybrids across the Senegal River Basin

摘要: Hybridization events between Schistosoma species (Digenea, Platyhelminthes) are reported with increasing frequency, largely due to improved access molecular tools. Nevertheless, little is known about the distribution and frequency of hybrid schistosomes in nature. Screening for hybrids on a large scale complicated by need nuclear mitochondrial sequence information, precluding ‘simple’ barcoding approach. Here we aimed determine understand spatiotemporal haematobium × bovis Senegal River Basin. From ten villages, distributed over four main water basins, genotyped total 1236 schistosome larvae collected from human urine samples using partial cox1 fragment; subset 268 parasites was also ITS rDNA. Hybrid were unevenly distributed, substantially higher numbers villages bordering Lac de Guiers than Lampsar Middle Valley River. The per village not linked prevalence urinary schistosomiasis that village. However, did find significant positive association mansoni. We discuss potential consequences adopting approach when studying