AUTHOR=Shen Jia , Xiang Suoyu , Peng Mei , Zhou Zhijun , Wu Zhongdao 

TITLE=Mechanisms of Resistance to Schistosoma japonicum Infection in Microtus fortis, the Natural Non-permissive Host

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2020.02092

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2020.02092

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Human schistosomiasis, which is caused by schistosomes, is a zoonosis that is difficult to control because of the many reservoir hosts. However, <italic>Microtus fortis</italic> is the only mammal that is naturally resistant to <italic>Schistosoma japonicum</italic> infection known in China, in which <italic>S. japonicum</italic> growth and development were arrested on day 12, and the worms eliminated on day 20 post-infection. In this review, we present an overview of the established and purported mechanisms of resistance to <italic>S. japonicum</italic> infection in <italic>M. fortis</italic> in comparison to <italic>Rattus norvegicus</italic>, a semi-permissive host. Clarifying the mechanism of this efficient resistance can help us to better understand host-parasite interaction and to provide better methods to control schistosomiasis.</p>