Competitive exclusion in human schistosomes: the restricted distribution ofSchistosoma intercalatum

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Abstract
SUMMARY: A study on the immune and mating interactions betweenSchistosoma intercalatumandS. mansonihas been carried out. The immunologically mediated interactions and mating patterns observed between the two species demonstrate thatS. mansoniis competitively dominant overS. intercalatum. WhenS. mansonifemales are absent,S. mansonimales are more competitive thanS. intercalatummales at pairing withS. intercalatumfemales. The use of a mathematical model shows how the abundance ofS. mansoniworms per host could dramatically affect the mating probability ofS. intercalatumfemales with their homologous males. It appears that the competitive exclusion between these two species of schistosomes may probably be an important factor restricting the distribution ofS. intercalatumin Africa.