Department of Pathology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Zambia, P.O. Box, 50110, Lusaka, Zambia.
Department of Clinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka, Zambia.
Parasitol Res. 2024 Jul 16;123(7):272. doi: 10.1007/s00436-024-08297-9.
Urogenital schistosomiasis remains a pervasive health challenge in rural Zambian communities. This study explores the molecular epidemiology and genetic diversity of Schistosoma haematobium using mitochondrial genes (cox1 and nadh1). Urine samples from 421 children in Siavonga and Lusaka districts, Zambia, were collected between December 2020 and February 2022. Microscopy and DNA extraction facilitated the identification of S. haematobium, followed by amplification, sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis of cox1 and nadh1 genes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed clustering with samples from mainland African countries, emphasizing shared haplotypes. Both mitochondrial genes exhibited substantial diversity, with 5 haplotypes from 37 cox1 sequences and 12 haplotypes from 23 nadh1 sequences. High haplotype diversity (0.621-0.808) and low nucleotide diversity (0.00181-0.03288) were observed. Siavonga and Lusaka districts shared the majority of S. haematobium haplotypes. Molecular variance and genetic differentiation analysis indicated variations within populations rather than between populations (cox1: -0.025, nadh1: 0.01646). These findings suggest a limited differentiation between S. haematobium populations in Siavonga and Lusaka, potentially indicating gene flow. Tajima's test revealed negative values, indicating a departure from neutrality, introduction of rare alleles, and recent population expansion. This study contributes essential insights into S. haematobium population genetics, crucial for effective urogenital schistosomiasis control in Zambia.
尿路血吸虫病仍然是赞比亚农村社区普遍存在的健康挑战。本研究使用线粒体基因（cox1 和 nadh1）探索了采采蝇的分子流行病学和遗传多样性。2020 年 12 月至 2022 年 2 月，在赞比亚的 Siavonga 和 Lusaka 地区采集了 421 名儿童的尿液样本。显微镜检查和 DNA 提取有助于鉴定采采蝇，随后对 cox1 和 nadh1 基因进行扩增、测序和系统发育分析。系统发育分析显示与来自非洲大陆国家的样本聚类，强调了共享的单倍型。这两个线粒体基因都表现出很大的多样性，37 个 cox1 序列中有 5 个单倍型，23 个 nadh1 序列中有 12 个单倍型。观察到高单倍型多样性（0.621-0.808）和低核苷酸多样性（0.00181-0.03288）。Siavonga 和 Lusaka 地区共享了大多数采采蝇的单倍型。分子方差和遗传分化分析表明，种群内存在变异，而不是种群间存在变异（cox1：-0.025，nadh1：0.01646）。这些发现表明，Siavonga 和 Lusaka 的采采蝇种群之间的分化有限，可能表明基因流。Tajima 的检验显示出负值，表明偏离了中性、稀有等位基因的引入和近期种群扩张。本研究为采采蝇种群遗传学提供了重要的见解，这对于赞比亚有效控制尿路血吸虫病至关重要。
