The final chapter of the HUGS study was presented this month at the British Society for Parasitology Spring Meeting 2026, marking the culmination of four years of collaborative research into hybrid schistosomes and their public health implications. 

Hosted by University of Glasgow, the meeting brought together researchers from across the global schistosomiasis community. A standout moment was Prof Janelisa Musaya’s closing presentation from the Hybridisation in UroGenital Schistosomiasis (HUGS) project, which explored how shared water sources can act as transmission hotspots across human, animal and snail populations. The findings reinforce the need to integrate hybrid surveillance and One Health approaches into control programmes. 

The wider programme highlighted just how quickly the field is evolving. New data from the SHIS-CAM study showed S. bovis molecular markers in around 90% of schistosome-positive samples, underlining the scale of cross-species transmission. Other work explored female genital schistosomiasis surveillance, infections in wildlife populations, and the potential for parasites such as Strongyloides to move across the human–animal interface. 

There were also important advances in drug resistance monitoring. Prof Tim Anderson presented emerging evidence of mutations linked to reduced praziquantel efficacy in African schistosome populations, including the identification of a potentially resistant allele in Côte d’Ivoire. Alongside this, new research on livestock transmission in Zanzibar highlighted the ongoing complexity of schistosomiasis epidemiology. 

Together, these findings point to a clear direction of travel. Schistosomiasis research is becoming more integrated, more molecular, and more focused on real-world transmission dynamics across species. 

For HUGS, this meeting was both an endpoint and a milestone. The study has helped reshape how we understand hybrid schistosomes in Malawi and beyond. With new programmes like SHIS-CAM already building on this work, the next phase of research is well underway.