Ashong Yvonne Aryeetey, Armah Emmanuel Odartei, Akorli Jewelna, Aboagye Frank Twum, Owusu-Frimpong Isaac, Batsa Debrah Linda, Diyie Rhoda Lims, Armoo Samuel, Debrah Alexander Yaw, Osei-Atweneboana Mike Yaw
Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
Microbiol Spectr. 2025 Aug 5;13(8):e0227224. doi: 10.1128/spectrum.02272-24. Epub 2025 Jul 9.
Genetic diversity in populations can impact the prevalence of resistance-conferring alleles, affecting treatment outcomes and control measures. Understanding how parasites are structured across and within populations is important to monitor and manage treatment impacts and the spread of drug resistance. This study assessed the genetic diversity and structure of populations under treatment using multi-locus microsatellite markers. Egg-positive stool samples from school-aged children in schistosomiasis-endemic communities were analyzed to obtain a binary matrix for GenAlEx 6.502 analysis. The markers were 78.57% polymorphic, with a mean allele number ranging from 2.50 to 4.75. Average population metrics were as follows: different alleles (Na) = 3.179, effective alleles (Ne) = 2.282, expected heterozygosity (He) = 0.442, and genetic identity () = 0.800, indicating high diversity. Diversity indices were particularly high in Tomefa ( = 0.931, He = 0.499), Manheam ( = 1.074, He = 0.557), and Adakope ( = 0.778, He = 0.448). Analysis of molecular variance revealed low differentiation among populations (4% of total variance, = 0.001) and high differentiation among individuals (88% of total variance, = 0.001), with = 0.04 and high gene flow (Nm = 5.959). A neighbor-joining tree and principal coordinate analysis indicated low population structuring. The Mantel test showed no significant correlation between genetic and geographic distances ( = 0.006, = 0.148). The findings suggest high genetic diversity and gene flow, supporting the potential spread of alleles that may confer traits like drug resistance. An integrated approach is needed to achieve sustainable control of schistosomiasis.IMPORTANCEThis study is crucial as it provides a detailed analysis of genetic diversity and population structure in schistosomiasis-endemic communities under treatment. By employing multi-locus microsatellite markers, the research highlights significant genetic variation within and among populations, revealing high levels of genetic diversity and gene flow, as well as the presence of private alleles. These findings emphasize the potential for the emergence and spread of drug resistance and virulence traits, which can impact treatment efficacy and control measures. The absence of significant geographic isolation in population structure further emphasizes the need for a comprehensive approach to schistosomiasis control, as genetic factors rather than geographic barriers may drive resistance dynamics. This study informs strategies for sustainable control by integrating genetic insights into disease management efforts.
群体中的遗传多样性会影响赋予抗性的等位基因的流行率，进而影响治疗效果和控制措施。了解寄生虫在群体之间以及群体内部的结构，对于监测和管理治疗效果以及耐药性的传播至关重要。本研究使用多位点微卫星标记评估了接受治疗的群体的遗传多样性和结构。对血吸虫病流行社区学龄儿童的虫卵阳性粪便样本进行分析，以获得用于GenAlEx 6.502分析的二元矩阵。这些标记的多态性为78.57%，平均等位基因数在2.50至4.75之间。群体平均指标如下：不同等位基因（Na）= 3.179，有效等位基因（Ne）= 2.282，期望杂合度（He）= 0.442，遗传同一性（I）= 0.800，表明多样性较高。多样性指数在托梅法（I = 0.931，He = 0.499）、曼哈姆（I = 1.074，He = 0.557）和阿达科普（I = 0.778，He = 0.448）特别高。分子方差分析显示群体间分化程度低（占总方差的4%，Fst = 0.001），个体间分化程度高（占总方差的88%，Fis = 0.001），Fst = 0.04且基因流高（Nm = 5.959）。邻接树和主坐标分析表明群体结构低。曼特尔检验显示遗传距离与地理距离之间无显著相关性（r = 0.006，P = 0.148）。研究结果表明遗传多样性和基因流较高，支持了可能赋予耐药性等性状的等位基因的潜在传播。需要一种综合方法来实现血吸虫病的可持续控制。重要性本研究至关重要，因为它详细分析了接受治疗的血吸虫病流行社区的遗传多样性和群体结构。通过使用多位点微卫星标记，该研究突出了群体内部和群体之间的显著遗传变异，揭示了高水平的遗传多样性和基因流，以及私有等位基因的存在。这些发现强调了耐药性和毒力性状出现和传播的可能性，这可能影响治疗效果和控制措施。群体结构中不存在显著的地理隔离进一步强调了采取全面方法控制血吸虫病必要性，因为遗传因素而非地理障碍可能推动耐药性动态变化。本研究通过将遗传见解整合到疾病管理工作中，为可持续控制策略提供了信息。
