Schistosomiasis: Basic requirements for the development of a subunit vaccine, using genetic vectors

Schistosomiasis is a debilitating neglected tropical disease caused by infection with parasitic trematodes of the genus Schistosoma. Six species of Schistosoma are the basis of clinical disease in humans, altogether responsible for over 290,000 deaths annually.1 The clinical manifestations of schistosomiasis are chronic and insidious, including fever, anemia, growth retardation, genital lesions, hepatosplenomegaly and irreversible organ damage.1 According to recent estimates, schistosomiasis is endemic in 78 countries with over 800 million people at risk for infection.