Mapping of schistosome hybrids of the <i>haematobium</i> group in West and Central Africa

Abstract

Hybridization of parasitic species is an emerging health problem in the evolutionary profile of infectious disease, particularly within trematodes of the genus <i>Schistosoma.</i> Because the consequences of this hybridization are still relatively unknown, further studies are needed to clarify the epidemiology of the disease and the biology of hybrid schistosomes. In this article, we provide a detailed review of published results on schistosome hybrids of the <i>haematobium</i> group. Using a mapping approach, this review describes studies that have investigated hybridization in human (<i>S. haematobium, S. guineensis</i>, and <i>S. intercalatum</i>) and animal (<i>S. bovis</i> and <i>S. curassoni</i>) schistosome species in West Africa (Niger, Mali, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Nigeria) and in Central Africa (Cameroon, Gabon, Democratic Republic of Congo), as well as their limitations linked to the underestimation of their distribution in Africa. This review provides information on studies that have highlighted hybrid species of the <i>haematobium</i> group and the regions where they have been found, notably in West and Central Africa.