Environmental DNA for improved detection and environmental surveillance of schistosomiasis.

ABSTRACT: Schistosomiasis is a water-based, infectious disease with high morbidity and significant economic burdens affecting >250 million people globally. Disease control has, with notable success, for decades focused on drug treatment of infected human populations, but a recent paradigm shift now entails moving from control to elimination. To achieve this ambitious goal, more sensitive diagnostic tools are needed to monitor progress toward transmission interruption in the environment, especially in low-intensity infection areas. We report on the development of an environmental DNA (eDNA)-based tool to efficiently detect DNA traces of the parasite Schistosoma mansoni directly in the aquatic environment, where the nonhuman part of the parasite life cycle occurs. This is a report of the succes

SUBMITTER: Sengupta ME 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6500138 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature