Deep-amplicon sequencing of the complete beta-tubulin gene in Trichuris trichiura

Concerns about the low efficacy of benzimidazoles in soil-transmitted helminths (STH) infections, particularly against Trichuris trichiura, have arisen, which may be due to the emergence of anthelmintic resistance. Previous studies of veterinary nematodes have linked benzimidazole resistance to single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at three specific codons in the beta-tubulin gene, but similar associations in STH have not been consistently observed. In this work, we screened the complete beta-tubulin gene previously linked to benzimidazole resistance in T. trichiura by deep-amplicon sequencing to identify genetic variants and associate levels of diversity with drug response to albendazole.