| Occurrence of Anisakis and Hysterothylacium Nematodes in Two Fish Species (Trachurus mediterraneus and Engraulis encrasicolus) from the algerian Coast |
| Paper ID : 1277-IGA |
| Authors |
|
Fatima Benhamou * Université Abou-BAkr Belkaid Tlemcen |
| Abstract |
| Marine fish represent a significant commercial resource, ensuring food security. fish species play a crucial role in the transmission cycle of parasitic nematodes. This study focuses on the identification of nematode parasites collected from two species caught on the western Algerian coast: the horse mackerel Trachurus mediterraneus and the anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus. A total of 50 Trachurus mediterraneus and 50 Engraulis encrasicolus was collected during spring 2025 on the Mediterranean coast of Algeria. The parasitological examination focused on the stomach, caecum, intestine, liver, gonads and muscle of the fish. Muscle was analyzed because it is the part consumed by humans and thus represent the main route risk of transmission for zoonotic parasites (Anisakis larvae). All nematodes larvae collected and fixed in 70% ethanol. Nematodes were identified on temporary mounts in saline solution. Parasitological analyses revealed the presence of nematode larvae belonging tow genera: Anisakis sp. type 1 and Hysterothylacium sp., with variations in prevalence and intensity between the two species. For genus Anisakis, Trachurus mediterraneus showed a prevalence of 60% and an intensity of 1 larva per infested fish. In contrast, Engraulis encrasicolus showed a prevalence of 12% with an mean intensity of 0.83 larva per infested fish. For the genus Hysterothylacium, T. mediterraneus recorded a prevalence of 20% and a mean intensity of 2.5 larvae. similarly, E. encrasicolus recorded a prevalence of 6 % and a mean intensity of 1 larva per infested fish. The larvae of both genera were mainly located in the viscera. No nematode larva was found in the muscle of the examined fish. The presence of the genus Anisakis in both fish confirms their role as major intermediate hosts for the transmission of Anisakidosis. These results suggest that, for the samples examined, the risk of transmission to humans through consumption of their muscle is limited. |
| Keywords |
| Trachurus mediterraneus, Engraulis encrasicolus, nematodes, Algeria. |
| Status: Accepted |
