Prevalence for nematodes of hygiene-sanitary importance in fish from Colares Island and Vigia, Pará, Brasil

Abstract

Zoonotic parasites can infect fish and be a serious threat to human health. The objective of this research was to estimate the prevalence for the main fish-borne zoonotic parasitic diseases of freshwater fish marketed in Colares Island and Vigia, Pará, Brazil. In February, 2012, 85 (40 of Colares and 45 of Vigia) fish were randomly sampled by means of net fishing. Eighty and 76% of fish sampled were parasitized, being silver croacker (Plagioscion squamosissimus), kumakuma (Brachyplatystoma filamentosum), and gilded catfish (Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii) the species most parasitized. The most prevalent parasites were Anisakis (50% in Colares and 49% in Vigia) and Contracaecum (60% in Colares and 40% in Vigia), followed by Pseudoterranova (2% in Colares and 11% in Vigia), Eustrongylides (10% in Colares and 0% in Vigia) and Hysterothylacium (2% in Colares and 7% in Vigia) in the species: silver croacker, kumakuma and gilded catfish, in both cities. Mesentery (55%) was the organ with highest level of intense infestation. A greater proportion of massive infestation was observed in females (57%) than in males (12%). Results of this study indicate that fish caught in Colares and Vigia could be of high risk for consumer.