Version 1
: Received: 20 March 2022 / Approved: 22 March 2022 / Online: 22 March 2022 (04:25:24 CET)
How to cite:
Tembo, R.; Nkhoma, P.; Zulu, M.; Mwaba, F.; Yabe, J.; Halwiindi, H.; Kamwela, M.; Nalubamba, K.S.; Sikasunge, C.S.; Phiri, A.M. Genetic Diversity of Schistosoma Haematobium in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review. Preprints2022, 2022030295. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202203.0295.v1.
Tembo, R.; Nkhoma, P.; Zulu, M.; Mwaba, F.; Yabe, J.; Halwiindi, H.; Kamwela, M.; Nalubamba, K.S.; Sikasunge, C.S.; Phiri, A.M. Genetic Diversity of Schistosoma Haematobium in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review. Preprints 2022, 2022030295. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202203.0295.v1.
Cite as:
Tembo, R.; Nkhoma, P.; Zulu, M.; Mwaba, F.; Yabe, J.; Halwiindi, H.; Kamwela, M.; Nalubamba, K.S.; Sikasunge, C.S.; Phiri, A.M. Genetic Diversity of Schistosoma Haematobium in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review. Preprints2022, 2022030295. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202203.0295.v1.
Tembo, R.; Nkhoma, P.; Zulu, M.; Mwaba, F.; Yabe, J.; Halwiindi, H.; Kamwela, M.; Nalubamba, K.S.; Sikasunge, C.S.; Phiri, A.M. Genetic Diversity of Schistosoma Haematobium in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review. Preprints 2022, 2022030295. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202203.0295.v1.
Abstract
: Urinary schistosomiasis caused by the parasite Schistosoma haematobium is the most common form of schistosomiasis. This parasite has a high potential for genetic exchange within parasite populations giving rise to the genetic diversity that is important for its survival. Genetic differ-ences may lead to some parasite strains being more immunogenic which may have a negative impact on management and control of schistosomiasis. Therefore, understanding these genetic differences in the parasite may lead to better management of the disease. A literature search was done on PubMed, African Journals online and Google scholar using predefined search terms such as urinary schistosomiasis, S. haematobium, genetic diversity in sub-Saharan Africa in com-bination with Boolean operators (AND, OR). The search included studies published from 2000-2020 that emphasised on genetic diversity of Schistosoma haematobium in sub-Saharan Africa. Sixteen studies from 18 sub-Saharan African countries that met the inclusion criteria were se-lected. Most studies conducted in these countries showed a high genetic diversity of Schistosoma haematobium studies with microsatellite markers being the most commonly used method for ge-netic diversity determination. Fisher’s exact test showed that the distribution of genetic diversity in sub-Saharan African regions was not statistically significant (p=0.768). The highest number of studies on genetic diversity of Schistosoma haematobium were conducted in West Africa with Ni-geria and Zimbabwe in Southern Africa conducting the most studies, 4/36 (11%) each. Results obtained show the need for continued monitoring of genetic variations in Schistosoma haemato-bium in sub- Saharan Africa. This will aid in understanding the epidemiology of disease, ad-vancing novel treatment and vaccine strategies.
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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
