Schistosoma mansoni in Gabon: Emerging or ignored?

Abstract

Schistosomiasis affects millions of people across Africa. We detected eggs of Schistosoma mansoni in western lowland gorilla and central chimpanzee fecal samples in Loango National Park, Gabon. We analyzed nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, namely internal transcribed spacer and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 fragments, and the resulting maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses and haplotype network of the ITS and COI, respectively, showed that the samples from gorillas and chimpanzees clustered clearly within the S. mansoni clade. This is the first confirmed record of S. mansoni from Gabon, which urges surveillance in the area and prompts questions regarding the extent of zoonotic transmission and the clinical impact.