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Conference Agenda

Overview and details of the sessions of this conference. Please select a date or location to show only sessions at that day or location. Please select a single session for detailed view (with abstracts and downloads if available).

Daily Overview

Session

CP21.2: Cells, Molecules & Genes 4 - 5 min talks
Location: Lecture Theatre 1
Session Chair: Andrew Walker, The University of Queensland
Session Chair: Natasha Sharma, The University of Melbourne

Presentation 1

Genetic structuring of Simulium damnosum across Ghana's agro-ecological zones: implications for Onchocerca volvulus transmission dynamics

Millicent Opoku^1,2,3, Neha Sirwani^1,2, Kwadwo K. Frempong³, Sampson Otoo³, Sedou Naniogou⁴, Philomena Jackson³, Millicent S. Afatodzie³, Sellase Pi-Bansa³, Joseph H. N. Osei⁵, Franklin Ayisi³, Sarah M. Dogbe³, Abena A. Nyarko³, Warwick N. Grant², Daniel A. Boakye^3,4, Shannon M. Hedtke^1,2

1: La Trobe Institute of Molecular Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia; 2: Department of Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia; 3: Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana; 4: The END FUND, New York, USA.; 5: Biomedical and Public Health Research Unit, Water and Research Institute, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Accra, Ghana

Understanding the population structure of Simulium damnosum, the blackfly vector of Onchocerca volvulus, is fundamental to predicting onchocerciasis transmission risk and optimising intervention strategies. We investigated the genetic structure of S. damnosum. S. damnosum specimens were collected from 24 localities across Ghana via human landing catches. Following genomic DNA extraction and short read-sequencing, genome-wide nuclear SNPs were generated and analysed using DAPC and ADMIXTURE to delineate ancestry clusters. Five genetically distinct clusters were identified, broadly corresponding to Ghana's major agro-ecological zones: two savannah clusters (GS/SS-A and GS/SS-B), a Coastal Savannah (CS), and two Semi-Deciduous Forest clusters (SDF-W and SDF-E). The unexpected subdivision of the SDF ecozone into two divergent lineages, with the Bosomase population forming a genetically isolated western unit, suggests that O.volvulus transmission dynamics may differ markedly across this zone despite shared ecological classification. Populations at ecozone boundaries showed elevated admixture (gene flow), indicating contact zones where vector populations and parasite strains may intermix. These results indicate that S. damnosum populations in Ghana should not be treated as a single panmictic unit for epidemiological modelling or parasitological surveillance. Parasite-vecto compatibility studies stratified by genetic cluster are warranted to fully characterise transmission risk across Ghana's heterogeneous landscape.