科學家破解蝸牛DNA以對抗血吸蟲病大綱
Scientists have decoded the genome of a snail involved in the spread of a deadly parasitic disease.
日前，科學家已經解碼了一種涉及致命寄生蟲病蔓延的蝸牛的基因組。They say the information will help in the fight against schistosomiasis, an infection caused by a parasitic worm that lives in streams and ponds.
他們表示，這些信息有助於抗擊血吸蟲病，這是一種由存活在溪流和池塘中的寄生蟲所引發的傳染病。The disease affects millions of people a year in sub-tropical and tropical regions.
這種疾病每年在亞熱帶和熱帶地區影響着數百萬人。
More than 100 researchers from around the world have unlocked the DNA secrets of a snail that transmits the parasite. They say it will help in the understanding of the snail's biology, including new ways to stop the parasite spreading to people.
來自世界各地的100多位研究人員已經解除了傳播寄生蟲的蝸牛的DNA祕密。他們說，這將有助於瞭解蝸牛的生物學，包括阻止寄生蟲傳播給人的新途徑。
"Having the knowledge means we can progress at a much faster pace at understanding the disease and reducing the number of people infected," said Dr Joanna Bridger of the University of Brunel, a co-researcher on the study.
布魯內爾大學的博士、該研究的合作者喬安娜·布里奇說道：“掌握了這些知識，意味着我們在深入瞭解疾病和減少人類感染方面可以更快速的取得進展。”The snail (Biomphalaria glabrata) is found in South America. Related snails are responsible for transmitting the parasite in sub-Saharan Africa, where most cases occur.
這隻蝸牛（光滑雙臍螺）是在南美州發現的。其他類似的蝸牛則是撒哈拉以南的非洲出現的大多數傳染病中的罪魁禍首。People become infected when larval forms of the parasite - released by freshwater snails - penetrate the skin in contaminated water. In the body, the larvae develop into adult worms, which live in the blood vessels and release eggs.
當血吸蟲的幼蟲被淡水蝸牛釋放到水中，再通過被污染的水穿透皮膚，人就會受到感染。在人體內，幼蟲在血管裏寄生，發展爲成蟲併產卵。Some of the eggs are passed out of the body to continue the parasite's lifecycle. Others become trapped in body tissues, causing damage to organs.
一些蟲卵被排除體外，以繼續其寄生蟲的生命週期。其他的被困在人體組織內，導致人體器官的損害。
