The researchers have cracked the genome of the parasite that leads to trichomoniasis, a sexually transmitted disease striking 170 million people all over the world every year.
According to the scientists, this precise genetic information concerning Trichomonas vaginalis will make it possible to find new ways of diagnosing and treating the disease.
A draft sequence of the single-celled parasite’s genome is published in the January 12 issue of Science. The project included 66 scientists in ten countries. They recognized 26 000 confirmed genes in Trichomonas vaginalis and claim that there may be an extra 34 000 unconfirmed genes.
"It is a nasty bug," the leader of the group, Jane Carlton, an associate professor in the department of medical parasitology at New York University School of Medicine, said in a prepared statement.
In women, the parasite joins the vaginal lining and sends tendril-like projections into the tissue. Moreover, Trichomonas vaginalis secretes proteins destroying the cells the make up the tissue of the vaginal lining.
According to background information in a news release, genital itching, vaginal discharge, inflamed cervix and pain during urination or sexual contact constitute the common symptoms experienced by women infected with the parasite.
Severe infection is connected with pelvic inflammatory disease, and trichomoniasis rises a woman’s likelihood of becoming infected with HIV, the virus causing AIDS. Pregnant women with trichomoniasis are at greater risk of having premature babies or babies with low birth weight.
Several mild symptoms such as a burning sensation after urination can be experienced by men infected with the parasite. They may also suffer urogenital infections like urethritis and prostatitis.
