Project to produce a reference quality genome of the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis.. Echinococcus multilocularis strain:Java

Echinococcus multilocularis is a member of the Cyclophyllidea, which comprise the majority of tapeworms that are of medical importance. The disease alveolar echinococcosis, which is caused by the larval stage of E. multilocularis, is considered to be one of the most dangerous worm infections in the world. Larval stages of the related tapeworms E. granulosus and Taenia solium cause the serious and life-threatening diseases cystic echinococcosis and neurocysticercosis, respectively. While E. granulosus, T. solium and T. saginata have a worldwide distribution; E. mulitlocularis has a limited distribution within the Northern Hemisphere. However, recent data indicate a spread of E. multilocularis in Europe, Japan, and North America to areas that were previously free of the parasite leading to the classification of alveolar echinococcosis as an emerging zoonosis. This project aims to sequence the nuclear genome of E. multilocularis.