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Distribution and current infection status of Biomphalaria straminea in Hong Kong

Overview of attention for article published in Parasites & Vectors, July 2017
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Title
Distribution and current infection status of Biomphalaria straminea in Hong Kong
Published in
Parasites & Vectors, July 2017
DOI 10.1186/s13071-017-2285-3
Pubmed ID
Authors

Xin Zeng, Wing Chung Yiu, Kwan Ho Cheung, Ho Yin Yip, Wenyan Nong, Ping He, Dongjuan Yuan, David Rollinson, Jian-Wen Qiu, Ming Chiu Fung, Zhongdao Wu, Jerome Ho Lam Hui

Abstract

Schistosomiasis, also generally known as snail fever, is a parasitic disease caused by trematode flatworms of the genus Schistosoma. In Hong Kong and mainland China, the freshwater snail Biomphalaria straminea has been introduced and has the potential to transmit intestinal schistosomiasis caused by S. mansoni, a parasite of man which has a wide distribution in Africa and parts of the New World, especially Brazil. The first identification of B. straminea in Hong Kong dates back to the 1970s, and its geographical distribution, phylogenetic relationships, and infection status have not been updated for more than 30 years. Thus, this study aims to reveal the distribution and current infection status of B. straminea in contemporary Hong Kong. Snails were collected from different parts of Hong Kong from July 2016 to January 2017. Both anatomical and molecular methods were applied to identify B. straminea. Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1), internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1), 5.8S rDNA, internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2), and 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) were sequenced from individual snails and analyzed. To detect the presence of S. mansoni, both biopsy and PCR analyses were carried out. Using both anatomical and molecular analyses, this study demonstrated the existence of black- and red-coloured shell B. straminea in different districts in the New Territories in Hong Kong, including places close to the mainland China border. None of the B. straminea (n = 87) investigated were found to be infected with S. mansoni when tested by biopsy and PCR. The Hong Kong B. straminea are genetically indistinguishable, based on the chosen molecular markers (cox1, ITS1-5.8S-ITS2, and 16S rDNA), and are similar to those obtained in mainland China and South America. Biomphalaria straminea is now well established in freshwater habitats in Hong Kong. No evidence of infection with S. mansoni has been found. Surveillance should be continued to monitor and better understand this schistosomiasis intermediate host in mainland China and Hong Kong.

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Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 26 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Unknown 26 100%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Master 5 19%
Researcher 4 15%
Other 2 8%
Student > Ph. D. Student 2 8%
Student > Bachelor 1 4%
Other 2 8%
Unknown 10 38%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 7 27%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 4 15%
Environmental Science 1 4%
Nursing and Health Professions 1 4%
Immunology and Microbiology 1 4%
Other 2 8%
Unknown 10 38%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 1. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 04 April 2018.
All research outputs
#17,908,059
of 22,994,508 outputs
Outputs from Parasites & Vectors
#3,845
of 5,495 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#227,624
of 316,999 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Parasites & Vectors
#99
of 126 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 22,994,508 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 19th percentile – i.e., 19% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 5,495 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a little more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 5.7. This one is in the 22nd percentile – i.e., 22% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 316,999 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one is in the 23rd percentile – i.e., 23% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
We're also able to compare this research output to 126 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one is in the 13th percentile – i.e., 13% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.