Abstract
Anisakidae are nematodes that commonly parasitize in the coelomic cavity and viscera of several fish species. They can be found in flesh, which is why they have an important economic and public health impact. The aim of the current work was to assess the presence and prevalence of Anisakis larvae in fish species caught in the coastal area of the Karaburun Peninsula in Vlora Bay (Albania). A total of 856 of wild teleosts and 219 specimens of farmed fish were collected over a 5-year period (from 2016 to 2020). The results showed that out of a total of 1075 analyzed samples, 361 (33.58%) were parasitized with L3 larvae. In particular, only Solea vulgaris returned negative results, while Sparus aurata, Dicentrarchus labrax, and Sardinella aurita showed the lowest prevalence (4.55%, 9.17%, and 10.53%, respectively) and mean abundance (0.84, 1.19, and 0.92, respectively). Conversely, Scomber japonicus and Scomber scombrus showed the highest prevalence (74.07% and 68.00%, respectively) and mean abundance (188.24 and 249.82, respectively). The data suggest that the coastal area of the Karaburun Peninsula (southern Albania) may be a high-risk area for zoonotic diseases, and the consumption of raw or undercooked fish caught in the Vlora district could result in the acquisition of human anisakiasis. For these reasons, it is necessary to improve the surveillance plan.
Highlights
Fish provide excellent nutritious value, being rich in essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), especially omega-3 and omega-6, vitamins, and minerals [1]
Out of the 10 different fish species exanimated in this research, 9 of them showed contamination with Anisakis larvae
Further studies are necessary to determine the presence of Anisakis larvae in other fishing areas throughout the Albanian coastline
Summary
Fish provide excellent nutritious value, being rich in essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), especially omega-3 and omega-6, vitamins, and minerals [1]. For this reason, the demand for high-quality fish and fishery products has always shown a positive trend. From the European Union Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) database, when only taking into account the parasitic infections by Anisakis, 546 notifications were found in the EU. The latter extended from 2001 to 2019 in 13 different European Union countries, reflecting 0.95% of the total cases reported on the RASFF portal. Of the 546 Anisakis notifications, the main notified taxa were mackerel (123 notifications) and hake (106 notifications), followed by anglerfish (94 notifications) and anchovy (29 notifications) [4]
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