title: Occurrence of Nematodes of the GenusAnisakisin Mediterranean and Atlantic Fish Marketed in Sardinia.
abstract: Anisakiasis is a gastrointestinal fish-borne zoonosis caused by the ingestion of third stage larvae of the genusAnisakis. Between January and December 2013, 1112 specimens of four commercial fish species (Engraulis encrasicolus,Merluccius merluccius,Scomber coliasandTrachurus mediterraneus) marketed in Sardinia (Italy) were examined forAnisakissp. The overall prevalence ofAnisakisspp larvae was 39.9%, all morphologically identified as Type I. Scomber coliasshowed the highest prevalence (100%), followed byM. merluccius(Atlantic 91.0%, Mediterranean 71.2%),T. mediterraneus(32.7%) andE. encrasicolus(25.9%). All the larvae found in Mediterranean hosts were genetically identified asAnisakis pegreffii, whereas 90.0% of the larvae found in the AtlanticM. merlucciusbelonged toAnisakis simplex sensu strictoand 10.0% toA. pegreffii. The mean abundance ofAnisakissp. larvae was positively correlated with fish size inE. encrasicolus, AtlanticM. merlucciusand localM. merluccius. The prevalence of infection was greater in the body cavity (37.9%) than in the edible muscle (9.4%). However, 1.8% of the examined fish were infected exclusively in the muscle. Therefore, the risk associated to the consumption of raw or undercooked fishery products poses the need of measures such as visual inspection and preventive treatments to guarantee consumers' health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari , Italy.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Casti
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari , Italy.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scarano
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari , Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Piras
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari , Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Merella
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari , Italy.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muglia
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari , Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Piras
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari , Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Garippa
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari , Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spanu
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari , Italy.
authors.forename: Enrico Pietro Luigi
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: De Santis
keywords: Anisakis pegreffii; Anisakis simplex sensu stricto; Fishery products; Foodborne disease; Parasites