title: Genetic identification and distribution of the parasitic larvae of Anisakis pegreffii and Anisakis simplex (s. s.) in European hake Merluccius merluccius from the Tyrrhenian Sea and Spanish Atlantic coast: implications for food safety.
abstract: The consumption of the hake Merluccius merluccius is widespread in European countries, where this fish has a high commercial value. To date, different larval species of Anisakis have been identified as parasites in M. merluccius from European waters, Anisakis pegreffii and Anisakis simplex (s. s.) being the two most common. The aim of the study is to present data on the occurrence of Anisakis spp. larvae in the viscera and flesh of M. merluccius. Consequently, the distribution and infection rates of different species of Anisakis in different sites (viscera, and dorsal and ventral fillets) were investigated in hake caught in the central Tyrrhenian Sea (FAO 37.1.3) and the NE Atlantic Ocean (FAO 27 IXa). A sample of N=65 fish individuals (length>26 cm) was examined parasitologically from each fishing ground. The fillets were examined using the pepsin digestion method. A large number (1310) of Anisakis specimens were identified by multilocus allozyme electrophoresis (MAE) and mtDNA cox2 sequence analysis; among these, 814 larvae corresponded to A. simplex (s. s.) and 476 to A. pegreffii. They were found to infect both the flesh and the viscera. The two species co-infected the same individual fish (both in the viscera and in the flesh) from the FAO 27 area, whereas only A. pegreffii was found in hake from the Tyrrhenian Sea. The average parasite burden of A. pegreffii in hake from the Tyrrhenian Sea was significantly lower to that observed from hake off the Atlantic coast of Spain, both in prevalence and in abundance. In addition, whereas no significant difference in overall prevalence values was recorded between the two Anisakis species in the viscera of the FAO 27 sample, significant differences were found in the abundance levels observed between these species in the flesh, with A. simplex (s. s.) exhibiting significantly higher levels than that observed for A. pegreffii (p<0.001). Given that the pathogenic role in relation to man is known for these two species of Anisakis, both the flesh inspection and the infection rates of the different anisakid species assume particular importance in terms of assessing the risk they pose to humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Section of Parasitology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy; Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (DEB), Tuscia University, Viale dell'Università, snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cipriani
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples "Federico II", Via F. Delpino 1, 80137 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Smaldone
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Section of Parasitology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy; Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (DEB), Tuscia University, Viale dell'Università, snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy.
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Acerra
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples "Federico II", Via F. Delpino 1, 80137 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: D'Angelo
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples "Federico II", Via F. Delpino 1, 80137 Napoli, Italy. Electronic address: aniello.anastasio@unina.it.
authors.forename: Aniello
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anastasio
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (DEB), Tuscia University, Viale dell'Università, snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bellisario
authors.affiliation: Federpesca, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Palma
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (DEB), Tuscia University, Viale dell'Università, snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nascetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Section of Parasitology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. Electronic address: simonetta.mattiucci@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Simonetta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mattiucci
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017129:Anisakiasis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D017163:Anisakis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D001267:Atlantic Ocean / Q000453:epidemiology; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000235:genetics; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D016266:Food Parasitology; D059022:Food Safety; D048388:Gadiformes / Q000469:parasitology*; D007814:Larva / Q000235:genetics; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D059208:Parasite Load; D010802:Phylogeny; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2
keywords: Anisakis; Food safety; Merluccius