Host--parasite relationships of Schistosoma japonicum in mammalian hosts.

Control of schistosomiasis caused by Schistosoma japonicum has been severely hindered by the fact that several non-human mammalian species, including domesticated as well as wild animals, serve as zoonotic carriers of this infection. For effective control, it is imperative that the full host spectrum of this infection is understood. Although about 46 species of mammals are known to carry natural infection with S. japonicum, only a few might be of potential threat to human infection. Generally, in an endemic area, transmission of schistosomiasis to human depends largely on the availability and abundance of permissive hosts. Another important factor that needs to be taken into consideration in developing control measures against S. japonicum is potential strain differences. This review collates pertinent host-parasite relationship of S. japonicum in mammals in an endemic area and assesses the epidemiological significance of these findings for human infection.