Complete fluke? Genome sequencers crack parasite genome
Wednesday, July 15, 2009 - 13:35
in Biology & Nature
Researchers have today published the complete genome sequence of the Schistosoma mansoni, a parasitic worm -- commonly known as a blood fluke -- that causes devastating disease. The World Health Organization ranks schistosomiasis as a neglected disease of the poor, affecting 210 million people in 76 countries, and each year causing 280,000 deaths in sub-Saharan Africa alone.