Presence of Anisakis pegreffii in farmed sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) commercialized in Southern Italy: A first report

Gaetano Cammilleri,Antonella Costa,Stefania Graci,Maria Drussilla Buscemi,Rosaria Collura,Antonio Vella,Andrea Pulvirenti,Antonello Cicero,Giuseppe Giangrosso,Pietro Schembri,Vincenzo Ferrantelli

doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2018.06.021

Abstract

We examined 151 European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) samples from farms and fish markets of Sicily (Southern Italy) for Anisakidae larvae detection. All the samples were examined by visual inspection and modified chloro-peptic digestion. Two nematode larvae were found in the viscera of only one European sea bass sample from a farm located in Greece (FAO 37.3), giving a total prevalence of infestation of 0.7%. No other parasites were found after chloro-peptic digestion of the samples. The larvae were morphologically ascribed, at genus level, to morphotypes I and molecularly identified as Anisakis pegreffii. To the best if our knowledge, this is the first report on the presence of anisakid parasites in farmed European sea bass of Mediterranean Sea. Our findings suggest that the risk of exposure to Anisakidae nematodes in farmed European sea bass remains very low. However, further data on Mediterranean farms are needed to have a detailed risk analysis.

Highlights

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) scientific opinion declare that the risk of infection with anisakids is negligible only for farmed Atlantic salmon reared in floating cages or onshore tanks and fed on compound feedstuffs
M To our knowledge this is the first report on the presence of Anisakis larvae in farmed European sea bass
No Anisakis larvae were found even in 1040 European sea bass samples E from North Italy (Menconi et al, 2017) farms but a Hysterothylacium fabri larva was detected in only C one sample, suggesting the possibility for European sea bass in open-net cages to feed on live food AC in addition to the feed offered

Summary

MATERIALS AND METHODS

2.1 Sampling plan and sample collection A total of 83 European sea bass from 2 farms located in Licata (40 samples) and Pachino (43 samples), (Sicily, Southern Italy) were sampled during the period of January 2015 to August 2016. The farm sited in Pachino (36°42'N 15°07'E) adopt an indoor rearing technique for PT hatchery and open sea floating cages for fattening. 68 farmed European sea bass samples were collected from 13 fish R markets of north-west Sicily. M 2.2 Inspection of the samples and morphological analysis of the larvae. ED samples examining accurately the coelomic cavity and muscle by visual and stereoscopic inspection. T For visual and stereoscopic inspection, the fish were dissected by making an incision along the ventral P line in a caudocranial direction. All the nematode larvae C collected were washed in saline solution, fixed in 70 % ethanol and cleared with glycerol for AC morphological identification by light microscopy Leica DM 2000 (Wetzlar, Germany), following the taxonomic keys (Berland, 1961)

Molecular analysis

Findings

DISCUSSION