Anisakis and Hysterothylacium species in Mediterranean and North-East Atlantic fishes commonly consumed in Spain: Epidemiological, molecular and morphometric discriminant analysis

Abstract

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Estimation of the number of Anisakis larvae in commercial fish using a descriptive model based on real‐time PCR

“…The prevalence of Anisakis larvae and infection intensity in wild fish vary according to species, fishing area, season and individual characteristics of the fish 3,23 . As in the vast majority of marine fish, blue whiting tend to accumulate Anisakis larvae in their visceral organs, 23,33 which were the most parasitized part of the fish in this study. However, larval migration to the flesh also constitutes an important source of infection, reflected in the high number of larvae detected in the anterior ventral musculature.…”

“…The parasitic load in the musculature decreases towards the posterior end of the fish, and the anterior dorsal and posterior musculature are considered the safest parts for human consumption because of the absence or low number of larvae detected 34 . Other studies using visual inspection have reported similar Anisakis larval distribution in this host species in specimens from different fishing areas 23,35,36 …”

“…The hake specimens came from the Mediterranean Spanish coast, an area of low parasitation by Anisakis 22 . In addition, fillets from the fish tail were used, in which the parasite is not as likely 23 . Samples of 15 g of Anisakis ‐free fillets were experimentally contaminated with different numbers of A. simplex (s.l.)…”

Effectiveness of Gutting Blue Whiting (Micromesistius poutassou, Risso, 1827), in Spanish Supermarkets as an Anisakidosis Safety Measure

“…In this pelagic fish, the genera Anisakis, Contracaecum, Hysterothylacium, and Pseudoterranova have been reported [5,32]. For the genus Anisakis, prevalence oscillates from 65 to 99.5 % for the area north of Spain [25,29,33].…”

“…The higher incidence in Spain can be chiefly attributed to the country's culinary traditions, with most infections deriving from the popular consumption of European anchovies (Engraulis encrasicolus) and European pilchard (Sardina pilchardus), marinated in vinegar [2,22]. Other fish which are widely consumed in Spain include blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou), horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus), European hake (Merluccius merluccius), and Atlantic bonito (Sarda sarda), and these present high infection rates for ascaridoid larvae [25][26][27][28][29][30][31].…”