Schistosoma_haematobium_genome_sequencing. Schistosoma_haematobium_genome_sequencing

Blood flukes of the genus Schistosoma (Platyhelminthes, Trematoda, Digenea) are responsible for the chronic debilitating disease schistosomiasis / bilharzia, widely considered to be second only to malaria as a global health problem and an incalculable drain on the economic development of endemic countries. Since 1994, the World Health Organization has supported a genome initiative for Schistosoma, the Schistosoma Genome Network, aimed at identifying new targets for drug and vaccine development, understanding the molecular basis of parasite metabolism and development and determining biological variation. That initiative developed, and continues to develop, resources and datasets that have provided a firm foundation from which large scale mapping and sequencing efforts have been launched. The S. haematobium genome sequence will be an important resource, in addition to the published S. mansoni genome. . This data is part of a pre-publication release. For information on the proper use of pre-publication data shared by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (including details of any publication moratoria), please see http://www.sanger.ac.uk/datasharing/