Necator americanus
Human Hookworm
Human hookworm (Necator americanus)
The Genome Institute and collaborators are sequencing the human hookworm, Necator americanus. Hookworm diseases are extremely common in the tropics and sub-tropics, with a disease burden comparable to measles and exceeding that of diabetes and lung cancer.
N. americanus is the most prevalent species of human parasite and therefore most important from a public health standpoint. It lives in the intestines and is particularly harmful to children, causing chronic anemia, stunting growth and imparing intellectual development. Providing as complete a genome sequence as possible for this hookworm species will aid in vaccine development.
More Information and Sequencing Plan
Please see Whitepaper (pdf) and Nematode.net page.
Contacts
| Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Makedonka Mitreva | The Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine |
| Peter Hotez | The Elliott School of International Affairs, The George Washington University |
| Bin Zhan | Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University |
Publications
Cantacessi C, Mitreva M, Jex AR, Young ND, Campbell BE, Hall RS, Doyle MA, Ralph…
Massively parallel sequencing and analysis of the Necator americanus transcriptome.
PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2010 May 11;4(5):e684. PubMed | View Abstract
