| description |
Haemonchus contortus is the most economically important gastro-intestinal (GI) helminth of small ruminants, and a model for studying both the mechanism of action of anthelminthic drugs and for understanding the genetics and evolution of resistance to anthelminthics. GI nematodes have evolved resistance to all of the major classes of anthelminthic compounds. Importantly, H. contortus is closely related to hookworms, a group of major human neglected tropical pathogens that are treated with the same compounds as the livestock parasites, so lessons about the genetics and evolution of resistance in this species will be applicable to the surveillance of mass-drug administration campaigns aiming to control the human parasites.This aim of this study is to sequence selected Haemonchus contortus isolates from around the globe. In vitro anthelminthic resistance phenotypes are available for most accessions. This will produce a picture of the diversity of this parasite, and will address fundamental questions about the population biology and epidemiology of this species, such as testing the level of gene flow between geographical regions on both large- and small-scales, and how diversity and different genotypes are associated with anthelminthic resistance status. |