PRESENCE OF METACERCARIAE OF Opisthorchis sp. BLANCHARD, 1895 (TREMATODA: OPISTHORCHIIDAE) IN NEW HOST Macrobrachium amazonicum (HELLER, 1862), FROM THE NORTHERN BRAZIL: AN EMERGING RISK TO HUMANS BY THE SHRIMP CONSUMPTION

Abstract

Herein, we report the first observation of the metacercaria Opisthorchis sp. Blanchard, 1895 recovered from a new intermediate host Macrobrachium amazonicum (Heller, 1862), an important food resource from northern Brazil, emphasising the risk of contamination from inappropriate human consumption. The shrimp specimens of M. amazonicum were collected during June 2023, using a local trap called matapi in the Guamá River (01°27’54.2”S; 048°26’02.6”W), which supplies the city of Belém, showing a characteristic of an eutrophicated river. The collected specimens were sexed, measured, weighted and dissected in the carapace region, to observe the presence of parasites in gills, hepatopancreas and gonads. We observed 56 specimens of M. amazonicum (20 males, 32 females and 4 ovigerous females), of which thirteen individuals (23.21% of total sampled) showed encysted metacercariae of Opisthorchis sp. only in gonadal tissues, with high preference in females (66.6%), when compared with males (33.4%). The observation of metacercaria in Amazon river prawn is a risk to human health, due to the parasite's life cycle being completed in humans, leading to several health problems such as hepatic and biliary degradation, diarrhoea, vomiting and respiratory problems. Additionally, the eutrophication process observed in the Guamá River may favour parasite proliferation, and dissemination to other hosts and regions, possibly increasing the cases of people infected with parasites in Belém metropolitan area. Based on that, this work is an alert to the authorities for the risk of contamination of the population due to inadequate consumption of (molluscs, crustaceans and fishes) from the eutrophic waters of the Guamá River and adjacent waters.

Record of Metacercariae of Paragonimus Braun, 1899 (Platyhelminthes: Trematoda) in the Amazon Province: The Second Alert of Trematodes as Potential Risk to Human Health in the State of Pará, Brazil

“…The specimens of A. benedicti were manually collected in January 2024 on the banks of the Guamá River (01°27'54.2"S; 048°26'02.6"W) (Figure 1), one of the main rivers crossing the city of Belém, in the State of Pará. This river shows highly eutrophic characterization, with muddy and turbid waters, and the strong presence of clay particles in suspension since the domestic waste from the Belém metropolitan area, as well as chemical elements from the factories located along the Guamá River (COSTA et al, 2022;MARTINS et al, 2023).…”

“…Many cases indicating the presence of trematodes in domestic animals are observed in the literature (COSTA et al, 1984;BORAY, 1985BORAY, , 1986OLIVEIRA et al, 2005 and references therein); with these parasites causing zoonotic diseases which can lead to the widespread dissemination of these parasites to the environment and other individuals, including humans, who become infected through contact with the feces of these animals (MARTINS et al, 2023).…”

“…Additionally, the direct consumption of undercooked or raw shrimp and fish (i.e. salads, sushi) may cause a risk of contamination by trematoda (PHYO MYINT et al, 2020;MARTINS et al, 2023).…”

“…In Brazil, several cases of contamination of domestic animals and humans by trematodes were reported in the literature: Costa et al (1984), Bogéa et al (2005), Oliveira et al (2005), Siqueira Batista et al (2006, Lemos et al (2007), Pinto & Melo (2012) and Martins et al (2023). However, in the Amazon region, especially in the state of Pará, only the papers performed by Benigno et al (2014) and Martins et al (2023) reported the presence of trematodes in metacercariae stages as parasites of fish and shrimp respectively, which can lead to risks for human health through inadequate consumption. Based on this, in this study we report the presence of an excysted metacercariae of Paragonimus sp.…”

“…Trematodes of the family Paragonimidae Dollfus, 1939 are widely reported in the literature as parasites in several species of invertebrates (intermediate hosts) and vertebrates, including humans (final host) (DIAS et al, 2003). Within this family, the genus Paragonimus Braun, 1899 is recorded as the endoparasites of mollusks, crustaceans, fish, birds, rodents, bats, cats, dogs, and humans, which can be parasitized by the consumption of undercooked crab and fish (PHYO MYINT et al, 2020;MARTINS et al, 2023).…”