Discovery of a novel albendazole-ivermectin refractory Trichuris species, T. hominis, in Côte d’Ivoire patients through fecal DNA metabarcoding

Albendazole-ivermectin combination therapy is a promising alternative to benzimidazole monotherapy for Trichuris trichiura control. We used fecal DNA metabarcoding to genetically characterize Trichuris populations in patients from a clinical trial showing lower albendazole-ivermectin efficacy in Côte d’Ivoire (ERR below 70%) than in Lao PDR and Tanzania (ERR above 98%). ITS-1 and ITS-2 rDNA metabarcoding revealed the entire Côte d’Ivoire Trichuris population was phylogenetically distinct from T. trichiura in Lao PDR and Tanzania, and more closely related to the porcine parasite Trichuris suis. Complete mitogenomes of eight adult Trichuris from Côte d’Ivoire confirmed their species-level differentiation. Corresponding Trichuris ITS-1 and ITS-2 sequences in NCBI from individual human patients in Cameroon and Uganda and three captive non-human primates suggest this newly recognized species, T. hominis, is distributed beyond Côte d’Ivoire and has zoonotic potential. Further work is needed to assess the impact of this Trichuris species on soil transmitted helminth control programs.

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