Population_genomics_of_modern_and_ancient_Trichuris_trichiura

The neglected tropical disease trichuriasis is caused by Trichuris trichiura, a soil-transmitted gastrointestinal nematode that has been associated with man for millennia. Today, T. trichiura infects as many as 500 million people worldwide, predominantly living in rural communities with poor sanitary infrastructure that enables sustained fecal-oral transmission. We have used whole genome sequencing of human- and animal-infective isolates, followed by population genetic and demographic analyses to understand the global distribution and spread of the parasite. These genome-wide data will support future efforts toward the implementation of genomic epidemiology of this globally important soil-transmitted helminth.