Necator americanus Genome Sequencing

The Genome Institute and collaborators are sequencing the human hookworm, Necator americanus. Hookworm diseases are extremely common in the tropics and sub-tropics, with a disease burden comparable to measles and exceeding that of diabetes and lung cancer. N. americanus is the most prevalent species of human parasite and therefore most important from a public health standpoint. It lives in the intestines and is particularly harmful to children, causing chronic anemia, stunting growth and imparing intellectual development. Providing as complete a genome sequence as possible for this hookworm species will aid in vaccine development.