Introgression in Lake Malaŵi: increasing the threat of human urogenital schistosomiasis?

TY - JOUR

T1 - Introgression in Lake Malaŵi

T2 - increasing the threat of human urogenital schistosomiasis?

AU - Stauffer, Jay R.

AU - Madsen, Henry

AU - Rollinson, David

PY - 2014/6

Y1 - 2014/6

N2 - For the last 15 years, we have studied the relationships among cichlid snail-eating fishes, intermediate snail-host density, and the prevalence of human infection of Schistosoma haematobium in Lake MalaŴi and concluded that the increase of human infection is correlated with the decrease in snail-eating fishes in the shallow waters of the lake. We postulated that a strain of S. haematobium from other parts of Africa, which was introduced into the Cape Maclear region of Lake MalaŴi by tourists, was compatible with Bulinus nyassanus - which is a close relative of B. truncatus, and interbred with the indigenous strain of S. haematobium, which ultimately produced via introgression a strain that can use both B. globosus and B. nyassanus as intermediate hosts. This actively evolving situation involving intermediate snail-host switching and decline of Trematocranus placodon, a natural cichlid snail predator, will impact on transmission of urogenital schistosomiasis within the local communities and on tourists who visit Lake MalaŴi.

AB - For the last 15 years, we have studied the relationships among cichlid snail-eating fishes, intermediate snail-host density, and the prevalence of human infection of Schistosoma haematobium in Lake MalaŴi and concluded that the increase of human infection is correlated with the decrease in snail-eating fishes in the shallow waters of the lake. We postulated that a strain of S. haematobium from other parts of Africa, which was introduced into the Cape Maclear region of Lake MalaŴi by tourists, was compatible with Bulinus nyassanus - which is a close relative of B. truncatus, and interbred with the indigenous strain of S. haematobium, which ultimately produced via introgression a strain that can use both B. globosus and B. nyassanus as intermediate hosts. This actively evolving situation involving intermediate snail-host switching and decline of Trematocranus placodon, a natural cichlid snail predator, will impact on transmission of urogenital schistosomiasis within the local communities and on tourists who visit Lake MalaŴi.

U2 - 10.1007/s10393-013-0882-y

DO - 10.1007/s10393-013-0882-y

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 24136387

SN - 1612-9202

VL - 11

SP - 251

EP - 254

JO - EcoHealth

JF - EcoHealth

IS - 2

ER -