title: Epidemiological and molecular data on heterophyid trematode metacercariae found in the muscle of grey mullets (Osteichthyes: Mugilidae) from Sardinia (western Mediterranean Sea).
abstract: This study is a contribution to the molecular taxonomy and epidemiology of heterophyid (Trematoda: Heterophyidae) metacercariae found in the muscle of Mugilidae (Osteichthyes) from Sardinia (western Mediterranean Sea). Sixty specimens of mugilids (13 Chelon labrosus, 18 Liza aurata, 6 Liza ramada, 8 Liza saliens, 15 Mugil cephalus) were examined and 17,899 metacercariae isolated in 95 % of the hosts. Four types of metacercariae were identified: Heterophyes sp. (n = 14,113), Heterophyes sp. -small (1225), Stictodora sp. (1606), and Ascocotyle (Phagicola) sp. (955). The experimental infection of a hamster with Heterophyes sp. metacercariae produced six adults identified as Heterophyes heterophyes and two as Heterophyes cf. nocens. The morphology of Heterophyes sp. -small metacercariae matched with that of Heterophyes dispar. The sequence analysis of the ITS2 and 28S portions of rDNA confirmed the morphological identification of metacercariae, showing four clusters. All adults grouped together with the Heterophyes sp. metacercariae, whereas adults of Heterophyes nocens from Korea clustered separately, showing that this species is distinguished from H. heterophyes, and suggesting caution in the exclusive use of the number of rodlets of the genital sucker to separate the two species. The presence of metacercariae was high in all hosts; the highest prevalence is of Heterophyes sp. (prevalence ≥78 %; mean intensity ≥135 metacercariae/100 g muscle), and the most heavily infected host is M. cephalus (prevalence = 100 %; mean intensity = 841 metacercariae/100 g muscle).
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università di Sassari, via Vienna, 2, 07100, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Simonetta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Masala
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università di Sassari, via Vienna, 2, 07100, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Piras
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze della Natura e del Territorio, Università di Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Daria
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sanna
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03080, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jong-Yil
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03080, South Korea.
authors.forename: Bong-Kwang
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, and Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju, 660-751, South Korea.
authors.forename: Woon-Mok
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Sohn
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università di Sassari, via Vienna, 2, 07100, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Garippa
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università di Sassari, via Vienna, 2, 07100, Sassari, Italy. paolomerella@uniss.it.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Merella
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae; D005260:Female; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D006578:Heterophyidae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D058488:Metacercariae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000469:parasitology*; D015995:Prevalence; D023701:Smegmamorpha / Q000469:parasitology*; D014201:Trematode Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: 28S rDNA; Heterophyes heterophyes; Heterophyes nocens; Heterophyidae; ITS2 rDNA; Mediterranean Sea