%0 Journal Article
%T Genomes and geography: genomic insights into the evolution and phylogeography of the genus Schistosoma
%A Scott P Lawton
%A Hirohisa Hirai
%A Joe E Ironside
%A David A Johnston
%A David Rollinson
%J Parasites & Vectors
%D 2011
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1756-3305-4-131
%X Members of the genus Schistosoma are digenean (Strigeiformes: Schistosomatidae) blood flukes of mammals, comprising of 23 known species, with at least 7 of these contributing to the neglected medically important disease schistosomiasis [1]. It is estimated that more than 200 million people are infected in 74 countries throughout the tropics and subtropics [1]. The evolutionary history of these parasites has generated much interest, especially with regard to understanding the relative roles that particular species have in causing human disease [1]. With the advent of molecular data, ranging from chromosomal morphology and small gene sequences to the annotation of full genomes, several theories have been put forward as an alternative to the "out of Africa" hypothesis [1-3]. This review aims to discuss some of the evidence generated from molecular biology and genomics that has contributed to the now generally accepted "out of Asia" hypothesis, but also aims to provide alternative theories to some of the established concepts in schistosome genome evolution.Schistosoma species are found throughout the tropical and developing regions of the world, with primary foci in Asia, Africa and South America. The distribution of these parasites is closely linked with the geography of the obligate intermediate snail hosts that each species has adapted to exploit within given regions [4,5]. The species of Schistosoma were originally categorised into four major groups based on distribution, host specificity and egg morphology [4,6]. There are two groups primarily found throughout Asia; the S. japonicum group found throughout eastern and south eastern Asia, including China, the Philippines and Malaysia, and the S. indicum group which inhabits the western and southern regions including India, Sri Lanka and Thailand [4,7,8]. Both S. mansoni and S. haematobium groups are found throughout Africa, with species from both groups often sharing overlapping geographical ranges [6,8]. However, th
%U http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/content/4/1/131