Prevalence and mean intensity of Anisakis SPP. In two anglerfish species (Lophius piscatorius, Lophius budegassa) caught in Mediterranean sea

Anisakiasis is the human infection with third larval stage of nematodes belonging to the families Anisakidae or Raphidascaridae. Anisakis is the genera most associated with anisakiasis. Marine mammals are definitive hosts, while aquatic invertebrates and fish are intermediate or paratenic hosts. In intermediate fish the larvae penetrate the intestine and invade the body cavity or the muscles, where they become encapsulated as the third stage. In wild Anglerfish (Lophius budegassa and Lophius piscatorius) a high prevalence of Anisakis and Pseudoterranova larvae in muscles was demonstrated [1], for this reason an epidemiological survey of Anisakidae larvae was carried out. A total of 58 viscera and muscle of Anglerfish (Lophius budegassa and Lophius piscatorius) from Tyrrenian sea and Adriatic sea (F.A.O. zone 37.1.3 and 37.2.1 respectively) were examined for Anisakidae larvae detection by digestion method. Extracted parasites were counted and mean intensity was calculated. Parasites were identified by traditional and molecular techniques and the most frequent species isolated was Anisakis pegreffi. In viscera, the main localizations of the larvae were under the gastric serosa and intestinal serosa, where several parasites, alive and dead, were found. The visceral prevalence was 75% and the mean intensity was 4.48 for fish caught in Tyrrenian sea while no larvae were found in edibile parts. For the fish coming from Adriatic sea a visceral prevalence was 30%, mean intensity was 13.44 and only in one fish were isolated seven larvae in belly flaps. A comparison among different fisheries area is important for risk assessment of anisakiasis: in an analogous study performed in Scotland waters, Petrie et al. [1] reported, a prevalence and a mean intensity of Anisakis spp., in edible parts, in anglerfish (Lophius budegassa and Lophius piscatorius) equal to 26.96% and 1.70 respectively. As stated in the present study, Anisakis spp. in Mediterranean anglerfish proved a lower prevalence if compared to the same fish species examined previously by Petrie et al. [1]. These are the first data reported on the prevalence and mean intensity of A. pegreffi in Anglerfish caught in Mediterranean sea. These findings have an important consequence on epidemiology of anisakidosis and public health risk assessment.