Prevalence and Risk of Anisakid Larvae in Fresh Fish Frequently Consumed in Spain: An Overview

Abstract

Anisakidosis is a fish-borne zoonosis caused by parasitic nematodes of the family Anisakidae, of which the species belonging to Anisakis simplex complex are the most representative. It is considered an emerging disease in Spain. The objective of this study is to analyse the presence of larvae in fish frequently consumed in Spanish supermarkets, inferring the risk of infection. In total 1,786 specimens of 9 different fish species, from two geographical origins (Atlantic and Mediterranean), acquired fresh and not eviscerated were examined for anisakid nematodes. Analysis showed that 33.7% of the samples were parasitized by Anisakis larvae. The horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) presented the highest total prevalence (66.0%), followed by the silver hake (Merluccius bilinearis) (59.5%), the mackerel (Scomber scombrus) (58.4%), the blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) (53.9%) and the European hake (Merlucius merlucius) (45.0%). In general, the prevalence was higher in Atlantic than in Mediterranean fish. In all the species analysed, a higher presence of the parasite was detected in the viscera than in the flesh, although in the most parasitized species a noteworthy prevalence and abundance was observed in the flesh. In conclusion, risk factors, like fish species and origin, should be considered by consumers, in addition of following the recommendations established by Commission Regulation (EU) No1276/2011 and the Spanish Royal Decree 1420/2006.

Development and Application of Novel Chemiluminescence Immunoassays for Highly Sensitive Detection of Anisakis simplex Proteins in Thermally Processed Seafood

“…In the present survey, the detection of A. simplex proteins in mackerel, herring, cod, and hake products was not surprising, as Anisakis larvae have been found in the raw fish of these species, both in studies conducted in Poland and in many other European countries [ 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 ]. The high prevalence and the intensity of invasion of Anisakis in hake and mackerel are known; therefore, these fish species considered to be “high-risk” for consumers [ 48 , 52 , 53 ]. The presence of Anisakis antigen in surimi sticks, as already mentioned, was found in our study and in other investigations [ 29 , 47 ].…”

“…However, it is considered that surimi sticks contain mostly hake and blue whiting [ 29 , 54 , 55 ], species of fish in which Anisakis spp. larvae are often found [ 29 , 51 , 52 , 53 ]. In the present study, A. simplex proteins were not detected in anchovy products.…”

“…The prevalence of Anisakis spp. in sardines is generally quite low and also the risk of anisakiasis is at an intermediate level [ 52 , 59 ]. However, cases of anisakiasis and Anisakis allergy caused by consumption of sardines were reported [ 59 ].…”

Immunohistopathological response against anisakid nematode larvae and a coccidian in Micromesistius poutassou from NE Atlantic waters

“…Many studies have focused on the adverse health effects of larval nematodes on marine fish species (reviewed by Buchmann, 2012; Mackenzie & Hemmingsen, 2014; Horbowy et al ., 2016; Mladineo et al ., 2016; Debenedetti et al ., 2019). Formation of granulomas on the surface of internal organs (Buchmann & Mehrdana, 2016; Dezfuli et al ., 2017) or in the skeletal musculature is a common response to larval nematodes in fish (Umberger et al ., 2013; Cipriani et al ., 2016).…”

Occurrence of Anisakis and Hysterothylacium nematodes in Atlantic chub mackerels from Libyan coasts

“…In general, mackerels represent a large amount of all fishes captured worldwide (FAO 2007) and the most caught species in Portugal in 2016 (>26.000t) (DGRM 2017), ranking among the most valuable fish species in Europe (Levsen et al, 2018). Atlantic chub mackerels are frequently infected by anisakid nematodes (Costa et al, 2003; 2011; Debenedetti et al, 2019), parasites with a marine life cycle maintained by a prey-predator trophic web among intermediate, paratenic and definitive hosts. The occurrence of nematodes in marine products causes economic losses and medical problems, as larval nematodes belonging to the family Anisakidae may cause a fish-borne zoonotic disease in humans known as anisakidosis, while those belonging to the family Raphidascarididae are commonly considered not zoonotic or of negligible concern for human health (Klimpel & Palm, 2011).…”