Blood Fluke (Schistosoma mansoni)

Trematode parasites in the phylum Nematoda include the internationally troublesome schistosomes that account for infections in about 200 million people in 75 tropical and sub-tropical countries. Of the three main species pathogenic to people, the human blood fluke (Schistosoma mansoni) has recently captured the imaginations of geneticists involved in the World Health Organization-sponsored Schistosome Genome Project. The goals of this ambitious project are to construct the physical map of this trematode's genome with hopes of discovering novel chemotherapeutic targets and vaccine candidates.