Table 1.
Human helminth infections and their rodent models
| Human disease (pathogen[s]) | Human pathology | Global prevalencea and DALYsb | Rodent model | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filariasis | ||||
| Lymphatic (Brugia malayi, Wucheria bancrofti) | Lymphatic incompetence, elephantiasis | LF prevalence, 120 million; LF DALYs, 5.64 million | Mouse/gerbil for Brugia malayi/B. pahangic and Litomosoides sigmodontisd | 158 |
| Subcutaneous (Loa loa, Onchocerca volvulus) | “River blindness,” dermatitis | Ov + Ll prevalence, 50 million; Ov DALYs, 0.99 million | ||
| Schistosomiasis (Schistosoma haematobium, Schistosoma japonicum, Schistosoma mansoni) | Liver fibrosis, hepatosplenomegaly, anemia, malnutrition, bladder cancer (S. haematobium) | Prevalence, 207 million; DALYs, 1.76 million | Mouse for Schistosoma mansoni, Schistosoma japonicum, and Schistosoma haematobiume | 220 |
| Ascariasis (Ascaris lumbricoides) | Cognitive impairment, intestinal obstruction | Prevalence, 807 million; DALYs, 1.18 million | Mouse for Ascaris suumf | 164 |
| Hookworm infection (Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus) | Anemia, cognitive impairment | Prevalence, 576 million; DALYs, 1.83 million | Rat/mouse for Nippostronglus brasiliensisg and Heligmosomoides polygyrush | 40 |
| Trichuriasis (Trichuris trichiura) | Diarrhea, cognitive impairment | Prevalence, 604 million; DALYs, 1.65 million | Mouse for Trichuris muris | 45 |
a
See reference 124.
b
DALYs, disability-adjusted life years (309).
c
The full life cycle does not develop in mice; however, each life cycle stage can survive temporarily.
d
Natural parasite of the cotton rat Sigmodon hispidus.
e
Low-level infection in mice.
f
Only larval stages survive in mice. Ascaris suum is a natural parasite of pigs.
g
Truncated infection, especially in mice.
h
Taxonomically related to hookworms but lives entirely in the gastrointestinal tract and does not ingest blood.