By Trinity Kaphamtengo
A Research study, the Hybridisation in UroGenital Schistosomiasis (HUGS), led by the Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Programme, has revealed that cross-breeding between human-infecting Schistosoma and cattle-infecting species, referred to as “hybrid infection”, is complicating elimination efforts of Schistosomiasis or Bilharzia.
Deputy Director at Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Programme, who is also a Professor at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Jenelisa Musaya, said the hybrids occur when worms that cause Schistosomiasis affecting humans only interbreed with worms affecting livestock or other species when livestock and humans share water bodies such as rivers and lakes.
Revealing this in Dowa during a dissemination workshop, Musaya indicated that the matter is leading to potentially more resilient parasites, altered disease treatment and resistance.
She also highlighted that the severity of the disease is increasing as the research study conducted in Mangochi and Nsanje records 7% hybrid cases, which she says is a setback to Malawi’s goal of eliminating schistosomiasis as a public health problem by 2030.
Principal Secretary for administration in the Ministry of Health and Sanitation Bestone Chisamile, said with the research findings, the ministry recognises the need for more interventions that integrate One Health strategies addressing livestock, environmental and human treatment programmes to eliminate the issue.
Among other things, the study has recommended bi-annual Mass Drug Administration (MDA) as annual MDA is said to be inadequate, snail and environmental control, increased WASH interventions to disrupt transmissions and more funding and support towards Schistosomiasis prevention, control and management.
The hybrid parasites have not been detected in human urine only but also semen samples as well as in cattle and intermediate snail hosts, as they demonstrate active transmission across the species.
The Hybridisation in UroGenital Schistosomiasis (HUGS) Study is a four-year (2021–2025), multidisciplinary One Health research project funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and Wellcome Trust (UK) done in Mangochi and Nsanje districts respectively.
