Abstract
Parasites of the nematode genus Anisakis are associated with aquatic organisms. They can be found in a variety of marine hosts including whales, crustaceans, fish and cephalopods and are known to be the cause of the zoonotic disease anisakiasis, a painful inflammation of the gastro-intestinal tract caused by the accidental consumptions of infectious larvae raw or semi-raw fishery products. Since the demand on fish as dietary protein source and the export rates of seafood products in general is rapidly increasing worldwide, the knowledge about the distribution of potential foodborne human pathogens in seafood is of major significance for human health. Studies have provided evidence that a few Anisakis species can cause clinical symptoms in humans. The aim of our study was to interpolate the species range for every described Anisakis species on the basis of the existing occurrence data. We used sequence data of 373 Anisakis larvae from 30 different hosts worldwide and previously published molecular data (n = 584) from 53 field-specific publications to model the species range of Anisakis spp., using a interpolation method that combines aspects of the alpha hull interpolation algorithm as well as the conditional interpolation approach. The results of our approach strongly indicate the existence of species-specific distribution patterns of Anisakis spp. within different climate zones and oceans that are in principle congruent with those of their respective final hosts. Our results support preceding studies that propose anisakid nematodes as useful biological indicators for their final host distribution and abundance as they closely follow the trophic relationships among their successive hosts. The modeling might although be helpful for predicting the likelihood of infection in order to reduce the risk of anisakiasis cases in a given area.
Highlights
20,000 cases of human anisakidosis infections are reported every year from a wide range of coastal regions, primarily in Japan and Europe [1]
The term anisakidosis designates infections caused by nematodes of the family Anisakidae, whereas the term anisakiasis includes all infections that are caused by members of the genus Anisakis [2]
The final distribution range of a particular species is constructed on those areas that are included within the interpolated triangles, and on those that connect species occurrence locations within the given interpolation distance as well as areas where locations are isolated due to a lack of neighbouring occurrences. Based on these developments we present here a methodology for interpolating occurrence locations for every described Anisakis spp
Summary
20,000 cases of human anisakidosis infections are reported every year from a wide range of coastal regions, primarily in Japan and Europe [1]. This zoonosis, named after a family of marine nematodes, the Anisakidae (‘‘whale-, seal-, cod-, herringworms’’), is the result of the ingestion of infectious third stage larvae (L3) in raw or undercooked marine fish products. The term anisakidosis designates infections caused by nematodes of the family Anisakidae, whereas the term anisakiasis includes all infections that are caused by members of the genus Anisakis [2].
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