A review was conducted to identify the most common causative agents of anisakidosis, the methods used for identification of the causative agents, and to summarize the sources of infection, and patients’ demographics. A total of 762 cases... more
A review was conducted to identify the most common causative agents of anisakidosis, the methods used for identification of the causative agents, and to summarize the sources of infection, and patients’ demographics. A total of 762 cases (409 articles, inclusive of all languages) were found between 1965 and 2022. The age range was 7 months to 85 years old. Out of the 34 countries, Japan, Spain, and South Korea stood out with the highest number of published human cases of anisakidosis, respectively. This raises the question: Why are there few to no reports of anisakidosis cases in other countries, such as Indonesia and Vietnam, where seafood consumption is notably high? Other than the gastrointestinal tract, parasites were frequently found in internal organs such as liver, spleen, pancreas, lung, hiatal and epigastric hernia, and tonsils. There are also reports of the worm being excreted through the nose, rectum, and mouth. Symptoms included sore throat, tumor, bleeding, gastric/epig...
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Purpose of Review Consumption of wild game meat is traditionally associated with rural, remote and poor areas around the world, but there has been a recent rise in the consumption of wild game meat in urban and higher socio-economic... more
Purpose of Review Consumption of wild game meat is traditionally associated with rural, remote and poor areas around the world, but there has been a recent rise in the consumption of wild game meat in urban and higher socio-economic regions such as Australia. Along with its unique animal fauna, Australia has a wide diversity of feral animals, many of which are hunted for food, although little is known about the levels of consumption of this meat across Australia. Corresponding with this is the lack of information on the parasites within these animals, particularly those of potential zoonotic concern through the consumption of raw or undercooked meat and organs. This review aimed to determine the level of knowledge of parasites of feral animals regularly consumed in Australia. Recent Findings Online databases were searched for publications on feral animals and their parasites. For the purpose of this review, only protozoal and helminth parasites that infest the muscle and organ syste...
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Previous research has shown that certain types of edible fish imported into Australia are infected with Euclinostomum/Isoparorchis digenetic trematodes. In the present study, imported Channa fish were examined for parasites which were... more
Previous research has shown that certain types of edible fish imported into Australia are infected with Euclinostomum/Isoparorchis digenetic trematodes. In the present study, imported Channa fish were examined for parasites which were then morphologically identified to the lowest taxonomic unit possible. Here we provide the first Australian report of Pallisentis sp. Van Cleave, 1928 (Prevalence (P) 35.9%) of family Quadrigyridae; Genarchopsis sp. Ozaki, 1925 (P. 16.5%), family Derogenidae and Senga sp. Dollfus, 1934 (P. 4.8%) in edible imported Channa fish (n = 103). Pallisentis sp. and Senga sp. have invasive hold fast organs which cause significant mechanical damage to fish intestinal structures and Euclinostomum/Isoparorchis cause severe pathology and loss of marketability in infected fish. These exotic parasites, if introduced into Australia, have the potential to negatively impact the health, fecundity, resilience and marketability of native and commercial fish species. Biosecu...
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Previous research has shown that freshwater edible fish imported into Australia are not compliant with Australian importation guidelines and as a result may be high risk for bacterial contamination. In the present study, the outer surface... more
Previous research has shown that freshwater edible fish imported into Australia are not compliant with Australian importation guidelines and as a result may be high risk for bacterial contamination. In the present study, the outer surface of imported freshwater fish were swabbed, cultured, confirmatory tests performed and antimicrobial patterns investigated. Channidae fish (Sp. A/n = 66) were contaminated with zoonotic Salmonella sp./Staphylococcus aureus (n = 1/66) and other bacteria implicated in cases of opportunistic human infection, these being Pseudomonas sp. (including P. mendocina and P. pseudoalcaligenes (n = 34/66)); Micrococcus sp. (n = 32/66); Comamonas testosteroni (n = 27/66) and Rhizobium radiobacter (n = 3/66). Pangasiidae fish (Species B/n = 47) were contaminated with zoonotic Vibrio fluvialis (n = 10/47); Salmonella sp. (n = 6/47) and environmental bacteria Micrococcus sp. (n = 3/47). One sample was resistant to all antimicrobials tested and is considered to be Met...
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Specimens of the pentastomid parasite, Linguatula serrata, have been reported from several animals in Romania, including some domestic dogs translocated to other parts of Europe. In this study, gray wolves (Canis lupus, n = 80), golden... more
Specimens of the pentastomid parasite, Linguatula serrata, have been reported from several animals in Romania, including some domestic dogs translocated to other parts of Europe. In this study, gray wolves (Canis lupus, n = 80), golden jackals (C. aureus, n = 115), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes, n = 236), and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus, n = 1) were examined for pentastomes. Overall, 17.5% of wolves were found to be infected with specimens of Linguatula, with a range of infections of one to five individuals per animal. Golden jackals and foxes had much lower infection levels, with 1.73% of golden jackals and 1.69% of foxes infected; both host species were found to be infected with one or two individual pentastomes per animal. The single deer specimen was infected with three individual pentastomes. The pentastomes collected from the wolves and golden jackals were determined to be immature and mature adult specimens of L. serrata based on morphological examination and molecular analysis ...
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Aquatic snails serve an important role in the ecosystem. They also play an essential role in the life cycle of many parasites as hosts and may pose risks to animal and human health. In Australia, the role of snails in the transmission of... more
Aquatic snails serve an important role in the ecosystem. They also play an essential role in the life cycle of many parasites as hosts and may pose risks to animal and human health. In Australia, the role of snails in the transmission of parasites of livestock is well studied. However, despite the country’s unique biodiversity and wildlife, little is known about the role of snails in the transmission and survival of parasites in other ecosystems, including aquatic and aquaculture systems. This study aimed to determine the occurrence of parasites in freshwater snails in the eastern Murray Darling Basin. A total of 275 snails were collected from various localities, including aquaculture fishery ponds and natural creeks during the summer and autumn months in the southern hemisphere. Three different species of freshwater snails, all common to the area, were found, including Bullastra lessoni (n = 11), Isidorella hainesii (n = 157), and Haitia acuta (n = 107), of which 9.1%, 1.3%, and 4....
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Macrobrachium australiense, is one of Australia’s most widespread freshwater invertebrates. Although a significant amount of research has been conducted to understand the diversity of crustacean species in Australia, there has been... more
Macrobrachium australiense, is one of Australia’s most widespread freshwater invertebrates. Although a significant amount of research has been conducted to understand the diversity of crustacean species in Australia, there has been considerably less effort focused on their Temnocephalidae symbionts. The present study aims to identify Temnocephalidae species found in M. australiense, along with determining their impacts on the fitness of their hosts. A total of 54 M. australiense (common Australian river prawn) were examined for evidence of infection with Temnocephalidae species, of which 96.3% showed at least one sign of infection with Temnocephalidae. Due to damage and immaturity of the worms collected from, they have been referred to as Temnocephalidae sp. based on the presence of tentacles on the anterior margin of the body, and pedunculate sucker located dorsally on the ventral surface. Possible mechanical damage to gill lamellae resulting from either egg deposition or autolysis...
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The phylogenetic relationships among seven Linguatula serrata (L. serrata) isolates collected from cattle, goats, sheep, dogs and camels in different geographical locations of Iran were investigated using partial 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA)... more
The phylogenetic relationships among seven Linguatula serrata (L. serrata) isolates collected from cattle, goats, sheep, dogs and camels in different geographical locations of Iran were investigated using partial 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene sequences. The nucleotide sequences were analysed in order to determine the phylogenetic relationships between the isolates. Higher sequence diversity and intraspecies variation was observed in the cox1 gene compared to 18S rRNA sequences. Phylogenetic analysis of the cox1 gene placed all L. serrata isolates in a sister clade to L. arctica. The Mantel regression analysis revealed no association between genetic variations and host species or geographical location, perhaps due to the small sample size. However, genetic variations between L. serrata isolates in Iran and those isolated in other parts of the world may exist and could reveal possible evolutionary relationships.
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Legislative changes have altered the way imported edible seafood is inspected in Australia. Greater onus of responsibility has been placed on exporting countries to provide documentary evidence of adherence to internally recognized food... more
Legislative changes have altered the way imported edible seafood is inspected in Australia. Greater onus of responsibility has been placed on exporting countries to provide documentary evidence of adherence to internally recognized food safety standards. According to global trade agreements, any additional safety tests applied to freshwater fish imported into Australia must be justified. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a risk scoring method to provide justification for identifying countries as ‘Freshwater fish high risk’ and to examine the seafood they export to Australia for seafood supply chain breaches. Scoring was conducted using six predictor variables, identified in the literature as important contributors to seafood supply chain breaches, to achieve the outcome variable, Country considered ‘Freshwater fish high risk’. Sixty-seven fish fillets (9.55 kg) of the same species were examined from the third highest scoring country (Country 20) and 562 (5.6 kg) whole ...
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The soft tick, Argas persicus , is the most important ectoparasite in chicken and other domestic fowl, well as in humans. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the survival rate of A. persicus under three different environmental... more
The soft tick, Argas persicus , is the most important ectoparasite in chicken and other domestic fowl, well as in humans. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the survival rate of A. persicus under three different environmental conditions, including immersion in tap water, immersion in oxygenated water and after being placed and washed along clothes in an ordinary washing machine. Adult and larval ticks were separately immersed in tap and oxygenated water for six different time periods: 1, 6, 24, 48, 72 hours and 1 week. Both adults and larvae survived up to 72 hours immersion in tap water. All the ticks immersed in tap water died during the first week; while 53.3% of adult ticks survived one week immersion in oxygenated water. To evaluate the survival rate of ticks in the washing machine, only adults were used and the ticks were placed in a small hub filter before being placed in a Samsung washing machine at three different temperatures (30, 40 and 60°C). At the end of each...
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Research Interests: Biology and Domestication
Clinostomum complanatum is a hermaphroditice parasite with an indirect life cycle. The adult worms typically live in the oral cavity and oesophagus of piscivorous birds which become infected after consuming infected fish or amphibians... more
Clinostomum complanatum is a hermaphroditice parasite with an indirect life cycle. The adult worms typically live in the oral cavity and oesophagus of piscivorous birds which become infected after consuming infected fish or amphibians [7]. Metacercariae of C. complanatum are large, often yellow and encyst in a variety of sites in the body such as the oral cavity, gills, intestines, tail, muscles and eye sockets of fish or amphibians, causing the well-known “yellow grub disease”. In humans, when infection occurs after the consumption of raw fish, the fluke accidentally attaches to the surface of the mucus membrane of the throat, causing a clinical syndrome called halzoun. Many cases have been described in several countries, including Japan, Korea, Thailand and India [2, 11, 15, 20] and it is considered to be an important parasitic zoonosis for public health in these countries [9]. Although no human cases have yet been reported in Iran, this could be due health practitioner’s lack of ...
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It is not suggested that any country is intentionally exporting seafood which does not comply with Codex seafood-safety guidelines/codes/standards. However, with an open access resource such as fisheries, there is vast potential for... more
It is not suggested that any country is intentionally exporting seafood which does not comply with Codex seafood-safety guidelines/codes/standards. However, with an open access resource such as fisheries, there is vast potential for errors to occur along convoluted supply chains, spanning multiple countries, which may negatively impact the safety of edible seafood products imported into Australia. Australian importation policy and inspection procedures are founded upon a bedrock of trust in the integrity, reliability and safety of the global seafood supply chain. In order for seafood imported to Australia to be considered safe the non-mandatory international health standards, governed by Codex Alimentarius, for seafood must be predicated upon the most efficacious methods and stringently governed by each exporting provenance. Currently, tests for zoonotic parasites are not applied to imported edible seafood products on arrival into Australia. Therefore, this critical analysis is aime...
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Seafood is an increasingly popular source of healthy protein. Since 1961, the average annual increase in global food fish consumption has been twice as high as population growth and exceeds the consumption of meat from all terrestrial... more
Seafood is an increasingly popular source of healthy protein. Since 1961, the average annual increase in global food fish consumption has been twice as high as population growth and exceeds the consumption of meat from all terrestrial animals combined1. The following overview of seafood safety concerns is intended to help readers to understand potential risks associated with parasites in seafood products and the need for a national approach to reduce or minimise them. It is important to note that parasite infections are not limited to seafood: all other types of foods, including vegetables and red meat can also be infected with a broad range of parasites, some of which are more dangerous than parasites in seafood. The main issue is lack of science based contemporaneous safety protocols which focus on seafood-borne parasites. As a result, in Australia regulatory control of parasites in seafood lags far behind other food sectors. Seafood safety is a broad topic. The focus of this arti...
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Global consumption of seafood is steadily increasing, as is the variety of seafood, including dishes with raw or undercooked fish, leading to an increased risk of seafood-borne parasitic diseases. To address today’s challenges to... more
Global consumption of seafood is steadily increasing, as is the variety of seafood, including dishes with raw or undercooked fish, leading to an increased risk of seafood-borne parasitic diseases. To address today’s challenges to understand the biology and ecology of these parasites in an ever-changing environment and to tackle their pathogenicity, multidisciplinary research is needed. In addition, the gap between research and stakeholders must be bridged to decrease the risk these parasites pose to public health. A “One-Health” approach to research is necessary to ensure that consumers, aquatic animals, and environmental health questions are assessed in an integrated and holistic manner, resulting in a more comprehensive understanding of the issues associated with seafood-borne parasitic diseases and potential solutions. However, when it comes to seafood-borne parasitic diseases, there is limited guidance available for a “One-Health” approach since these diseases can be less known....
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Pseudoterranovosis is a well-known human disease caused by anisakid larvae belonging to the genusPseudoterranova. Human infection occurs after consuming infected fish. Hence the presence ofPseudoterranovalarvae in the flesh of the fish... more
Pseudoterranovosis is a well-known human disease caused by anisakid larvae belonging to the genusPseudoterranova. Human infection occurs after consuming infected fish. Hence the presence ofPseudoterranovalarvae in the flesh of the fish can cause serious losses and problems for the seafood, fishing and fisheries industries. The accurate identification ofPseudoterranovalarvae in fish is important, but challenging because the larval stages of a number of different genera, includingPseudoterranova,TerranovaandPulchrascaris, look similar and cannot be differentiated from each other using morphological criteria, hence they are all referred to asTerranovalarval type. Given thatTerranovalarval types in seafood are not necessarilyPseudoterranovaand may not be dangerous, the aim of the present study was to investigate the occurrence ofTerranovalarval types in Australian marine fish and to determine their specific identity. A total of 137 fish belonging to 45 species were examined.Terranovalar...
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Fish are host to many parasites, some of which can cause disease in humans. With the increase in cultural and culinary diversity and the increased popularity of eating raw or slightly cooked seafood dishes in Australia it is speculated... more
Fish are host to many parasites, some of which can cause disease in humans. With the increase in cultural and culinary diversity and the increased popularity of eating raw or slightly cooked seafood dishes in Australia it is speculated that seafood-borne parasitic infections in Australian consumers may rise. Seafood-borne zoonotic parasites are recognised as a significant public health concern worldwide. In Australia there are few reports of infection in humans in the medical literature. Australian Government enforcement agencies rate the risk of seafood-borne zoonosis as low; however, the prevalence of seafood-borne zoonoses may be under-reported in Australia due to misdiagnosis. Although food safety regulations and import controls for seafood in Australia are strict, the focus is more on the control of food-borne bacterial, viral and chemical contaminant related illnesses rather than parasitic diseases.
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Anisakidosis is an emerging infection associated with a wide range of clinical syndromes in humans caused by members of the family Anisakidae. Anisakid nematodes have a cosmopolitan distribution and infect a wide range of invertebrates... more
Anisakidosis is an emerging infection associated with a wide range of clinical syndromes in humans caused by members of the family Anisakidae. Anisakid nematodes have a cosmopolitan distribution and infect a wide range of invertebrates and vertebrates during their life cycles. Since the first report of these parasites in humans during the early 60s, anisakid nematodes have attracted considerable attention as emerging zoonotic parasites. Along with rapid development of various molecular techniques during last several decades, this has caused a significant change in the taxonomy and systematics of these parasites. However, there are still huge gaps in our knowledge on various aspects of the biology and ecology of anisakid nematodes in Australia. Although the use of advanced morphological and molecular techniques to study anisakids had a late start in Australia, great biodiversity was found and unique species were discovered. Here an updated list of members within the family and the cu...
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In this study a new species of nematode, Iheringascaris goai n. sp., is reported from two fish hosts, including silver whiting, Sillago sihama, and spotted catfish, Arius maculatus, caught off the Central West Coast of India at Goa. The... more
In this study a new species of nematode, Iheringascaris goai n. sp., is reported from two fish hosts, including silver whiting, Sillago sihama, and spotted catfish, Arius maculatus, caught off the Central West Coast of India at Goa. The new species can be differentiated morphologically from I. inquies, the most closely related species collected from cohabiting marine fish. The distinguishing characteristics are distinct cuticular striations, a unilateral excretory system, the presence of dentigerous ridges on the inner margin of the lips and the ratio of oesophagus to body length. In males, the ratio of spicules to body length is higher and the number of pre-anal papillae is less in comparison to those in I. inquies. In addition, the tail curves ventrad in males, while in females, the vulva is post-equatorial. The sequence alignment of 18S rDNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I with sequences of known species selected from the same superfamily shows a significant difference. The mo...
Research Interests: Biology, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Medicine, Phylogeny, Anatomy, and 15 moreMitochondrial DNA, Sequence alignment, Helminthology, Female, Animals, Male, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Catfish, Intestines, Whiting, Perciformes, Nematoda, Amino Acid Sequence, Base Sequence, and Molecular Sequence Data
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This study describes the occurrence and molecular identification of Monogenea from blue-spotted flathead Platycephalus caeruleopunctatus (McCulloch) (Scorpaeniformes: Platycephalidae) from waters off the NSW coast, Australia.... more
This study describes the occurrence and molecular identification of Monogenea from blue-spotted flathead Platycephalus caeruleopunctatus (McCulloch) (Scorpaeniformes: Platycephalidae) from waters off the NSW coast, Australia. Platycephalus spp. are favoured by consumers for delicate, white, mild flavoured flesh and therefore are commercially important species within Australia. Platycephalus spp. are also extensively targeted by Australian recreational fishers. There has been no previous study that has exclusively focused on Pl. caeruleopunctatus in Australia or globally. Although a single study by Dillon (1985), of monogeneans infecting Platycephalus spp. from Australian waters, identified Microcotyle bassensis Murray, 1931 in Pl. caeruleopunctatus. The present study combines both morphological and molecular methods to identify both host and parasites. A total of 116 fish, sourced from the waters off the coast of New South Wales, Australia, were examined. A total of 1498 Monogenea were recovered from the gills. The overall prevalence, mean intensity, and mean abundance were 72%, 18.05, and 12.91, respectively. Monogenea were initially classified morphologically as two different species M. bassensis (family: Microcotylidae) and Platycephalotrema bassense (Hughes, 1928) Kritsky & Nitta, 2019 (family: Ancyrocephalidae). Molecular identification of Monogenea was conducted through sequencing of their mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) and nuclear 28S genes. The specific identification of host Pl. caeruleopunctatus was confirmed through sequencing the cox1 gene. There was no comparable sequence for cox1 and 28S genes available in GenBank for the monogenean species found in the present study. Only a single sequence (obtained from the nuclear ITS2-rDNA) was deposited in GenBank for M. bassensis. However, the phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial and nuclear sequences revealed that the identified Monogenea clustered according to their familial groups. Platycephalotrema bassense was identified for the first time in Pl. caeruleopunctatus in the present study. This study has provided the first evidence for the exploration of both cox1 and 28S sequences of all Monogenea. The findings of this study serve as a foundation for future monogenean research on other Platycephalus spp. from Australian waters.
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Clinostomum Leidy, 1856 (Trematoda: Clinostomidae) is a cosmopolitan, zoonotic genus of fluke that has been poorly studied in an Australian setting. Following previous reports of reservoir fish in Australian fish ponds being heavily... more
Clinostomum Leidy, 1856 (Trematoda: Clinostomidae) is a cosmopolitan, zoonotic genus of fluke that has been poorly studied in an Australian setting. Following previous reports of reservoir fish in Australian fish ponds being heavily infected with Clinostomum metacercaria, the current study was conducted to determine the specific identity of Clinostomum sp. in inland Australia, by examining and characterizing parasites collected from a potential definitive host, cormorants. A total of 33 parasite specimens belonging to the genus Clinostomum were collected from two cormorants (little black cormorants, Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) that were collected from the Narrandera Fisheries Research Centre, New South Wales, at the same locality where metacercaria of Clinostomum sp. have been reported in fish. All specimens in our study were immature adults. Clinostomum specimens with similar morphology have been identified as C. complanatum in the past, based on their morphological characteristics. However, phylogenetic analyses based on the ITS sequence data in the present study suggest they are the same as the Clinostomum sp. previously reported from carp gudgeons (Hypseleotris spp.) from the same farm, and distinct from C. complanatum. The ITS sequences obtained from the specimens in the present study were most similar to those belonging to C. phalacrocoracis (never reported in Australia). Our specimens formed a distinct clade on the phylogenetic tree and their specific identity awaits until fully mature specimens are described in future studies.
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PURPOSE Specimens of a pentastomid, identified as a nymphal Linguatula serrata, have previously been reported from the nasal cavity of the endangered Australian marsupial, the spotted-tail quoll, Dasyurus maculatus. These specimens were... more
PURPOSE Specimens of a pentastomid, identified as a nymphal Linguatula serrata, have previously been reported from the nasal cavity of the endangered Australian marsupial, the spotted-tail quoll, Dasyurus maculatus. These specimens were made available for morphological and molecular characterisation to confirm their species identity. METHODS Specimens were examined by light microscopy. Molecular sequencing attempts were unsuccessful. RESULTS Examination showed that the specimens were adult pentastomes of the genus Linguatula. Morphological differences are reported between these specimens and published measurements of specimens from other hosts collected from the same region. CONCLUSIONS This is the first confirmed report of an adult Linguatula pentastome in a native Australian animal. Due to the small number of specimens and the lack of successful molecular characterisation, the pentastomes have been referred to Linguatula sp. until future work can confirm the species identity. The ...
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Anoplotaenia dasyuri Beddard, 1911 (Cestoda), from the Tasmanian devil, Sarcophilus harrisii (Boitard, 1842), is a taxonomic enigma, where a combination of morphological features, host type and geographical location have prevented it from... more
Anoplotaenia dasyuri Beddard, 1911 (Cestoda), from the Tasmanian devil, Sarcophilus harrisii (Boitard, 1842), is a taxonomic enigma, where a combination of morphological features, host type and geographical location have prevented it from being placed within a family and it is considered incertae sedis, despite its accepted validity. We performed a phylogenetic analysis of three A. dasyuri specimens collected from three Tasmanian devils using 18S and 28S rRNA sequences. Anoplotaenia dasyuri was found to have closest affinity with the family Paruterinidae, especially the genus Cladotaenia Cohn, 1901. The postulated theory of transfer of an ancestor of Anoplotaenia Beddard, 1911 transferring to the Tasmanian devil from an unrelated carnivorous host, such as an accipitriform or other carnivorous bird, is discussed and supported.
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PURPOSE The nematode Ascarophis distorta Fusco et Overstreet, 1978 (Cystidicolidae), originally described from the butterflyfish Chaetodon paucifasciatus Ahl (Perciformes, Chaetodontidae) in the Red Sea, was established based solely on... more
PURPOSE The nematode Ascarophis distorta Fusco et Overstreet, 1978 (Cystidicolidae), originally described from the butterflyfish Chaetodon paucifasciatus Ahl (Perciformes, Chaetodontidae) in the Red Sea, was established based solely on the light microscopical (LM) examination of specimens. However, the present taxonomy of cystidicolid nematodes is mostly based on details of the cephalic structures properly visible only with the use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). METHODS Helminthological examinations of some marine fishes from coral reefs off New Caledonia, South Pacific, carried out in the years 2003-2007, revealed the presence of A. distorta in two Chaetodon spp. and thus enabled its redescription. The nematode specimens were studied with the use of both LM and SEM. RESULTS The specimens of A. distorta were obtained from the stomach of the threadfin butterflyfish Chaetodon auriga Forsskål and the vagabond butterflyfish Chaetodon vagabundus Linnaeus. This is just the second record of this parasite since its description 43 years ago. SEM, used in this species for the first time, revealed some taxonomically important, previously unreported or insufficiently described morphological features, such as details in the cephalic structure, the shape of deirids, structure of the distal tip of the left spicule, or the exact number and distribution of male caudal papillae. The finding of A. distorta in C. auriga and C. vagabundus off New Caledonia represents new host and geographical records. The examination of 39 specimens of butterflyfishes from off New Caledonia, belonging to 14 Chaetodon spp. and 3 Heniochus spp., revealed that the nematode was only present in the 2 fish species listed above. CONCLUSIONS This parasite seems to be host-specific to only certain species of butterflyfishes (Chaetodon spp.), and is probably widespread in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as its hosts.
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Anisakid nematodes are the most infamous parasites occurring in seafood with ability to infect humans. In the present study, the infective stages of five anisakid larval types, including Anisakis types I and III, Terranova types I and II... more
Anisakid nematodes are the most infamous parasites occurring in seafood with ability to infect humans. In the present study, the infective stages of five anisakid larval types, including Anisakis types I and III, Terranova types I and II and Contracaecum larval type, as well as adult Anisakis paggiae are reported from 16 host species from New Caledonian waters. The specific identity of the larval types was investigated using ITS sequence data. Anisakis larval types I and III were identified as Anisakis typica and Anisakis brevispiculata, respectively, based on identical ITS sequences. However, the specific identity of the Terranova larval types and Contracaecum larval type remains unknown until a matching ITS sequence from a well-identified adult is available. Several fish host species are reported for the first time for anisakid larval types found in this study. Considering that third-stage larvae of anisakids are known to be the infective stage of the parasite for humans and the p...
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A survey was undertaken to characterise larval anisakid nematodes present in teleosts at Lizard Island on the northern Great Barrier Reef. In total, 464 fish were examined from 32 families, 62 genera and 107 species. Anisakid nematodes... more
A survey was undertaken to characterise larval anisakid nematodes present in teleosts at Lizard Island on the northern Great Barrier Reef. In total, 464 fish were examined from 32 families, 62 genera and 107 species. Anisakid nematodes were found in 46 (9.9%) of the fish examined. Infections in Atherinidae, Lethrinidae, Lutjanidae and Serranidae were moderately prevalent, with the intensities of infection ranging from 1 to 80; whereas in the Sphyraenidae and Scombridae, the prevalence of infection was very high, with intensities ranging from 1 to >375 anisakids. A combined morphological and molecular-phylogenetic approach was employed to identify larval anisakid nematodes to species and/or genotypes. The nematodes examined were identified as Anisakis typica (three genotypes based on molecular characterisation), Terranova Types I (five genotypes) and II (five genotypes) and Hysterothylacium Types IV, V (four genotypes), VI and X. The findings of the present study provide some insights into the distribution of larval anisakid nematodes in coral-reef fishes and a basis for future investigations of anisakid populations in marine fishes.
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SUMMARYGenetic variation was examined in the anoplocephalid cestode Progamotaenia festiva, from Australian marsupials, in order to test the hypothesis that P. festiva, is a complex of sibling species and to assess the extent of host... more
SUMMARYGenetic variation was examined in the anoplocephalid cestode Progamotaenia festiva, from Australian marsupials, in order to test the hypothesis that P. festiva, is a complex of sibling species and to assess the extent of host switching reported previously based on multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MEE). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) was used for the analysis of sequence variation in the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene among 179 specimens of P. festiva (identified based on morphology and predilection site in the host) from 13 different host species, followed by selective DNA sequencing. Fifty-three distinct sequence types (haplotypes) representing all specimens were defined. Phylogenetic analyses of these sequence data (utilizing maximum parsimony and neighbour-joining methods) revealed 12 distinct clades. Other heterologous species, P. ewersi and P. macropodis, were used as outgroups and the remaining bile-d...
Research Interests: Parasitology, Geography, Australia, Mitochondria, Phylogeny, and 15 moreMitochondrial DNA, Sequence alignment, Parasite, Animals, Cytochrome c oxidase, Gene, Gen, Macropodidae, Genetic variation, Cestode infections, Cestoda, Amino Acid Sequence, Base Sequence, Genetic Variability, and Molecular Sequence Data
Research Interests: Genetics, Biology, China, Medicine, Sequence Analysis, and 15 moreMutation, Animals, Fishes, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Anisakis, Life Cycle, Cell nucleus, Larva, Disease Surveillance and Epidemiology, Ribosomal DNA, Biochemistry and cell biology, Oceans and Seas, Molecular Sequence Data, Disease Surveillance, and Internal transcribed spacer
In the present study, various morphotypes of Contracaecum (Nematoda) larvae in different developmental stages were described and then genetically characterised using sequence data obtained from the first and second internal transcribed... more
In the present study, various morphotypes of Contracaecum (Nematoda) larvae in different developmental stages were described and then genetically characterised using sequence data obtained from the first and second internal transcribed spacers (ITS-1 and ITS-2) of nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA). The alignment of ITS-1 and ITS-2 sequence data for larvae investigated with those from well characterised adults in previous studies showed that fourth-stage Contracaecum larvae from the Australian pelican, Pelecanus conspicillatus, had the same sequence as Contracaecum microcephalum reported from the little pied cormorant, Phalacrocorax melanoleucos. In addition, four different morphotypes of third-stage larvae, including types I to IV, were found in various species of fish. Contracaecum type I larvae were composed of two distict genotypes; those collected from mullet, Mugil cephalus, had the same sequence as C. multipapillatum, and those from an unknown species of hardyhead (family Atherinidae) were C. pyripapillatum. Contracaecum type II larvae from mackerel, Scomber australasicus, had the same sequence as adult C. ogmorhini sensu stricto, found in the Australian and New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus spp). Contracaecum type III larvae from flathead, Platycephalus laevigatus, had the same sequence as C. rudolphii D found in the black cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo. The approach used herein was an effective means of matching incompletely identifiable larval nematodes with reference sequences and provides a basis for exploring the composition of populations of anisakid larvae in fish as well as their ecology, particularly their life cycles and transmission patterns.