Abstract
This research was aimed to explore the helminth parasitic diseases in Schizothorax plagiostomus (the snow trout) from river Swat and river Panjkora, Pakistan. Collection of 360 fish specimens have done from the lower, middle and upper reaches of both the rivers through gill nets, cast nets, dragon nets and hooks. All the samples were examined in the University of Malakand, Zoology Department for helminth parasites during the months from January 2015 to December 2016. Of the total examined fish samples 21.9% (n=79) were infected with Rhabdochona spp including 17.7% (n=32/180) in river Swat and 26.6% (n=47/180) in river Panjkora. Highest month-wise prevalence (p=0.09878,p<0.05) was reported in May (30%), then by February and October each (26.6%) while the lowest during August (13.3%). Highest prevalence (p=0.9723, p<0.05) was reported in summer season (26.6%), while lowest in the winter season (20%). Adults were highly infected (p=< 0.0001) in prevalence (63.7%) followed by sub-adults (13.2%) while no infection was found in juvenile specimens. Females fish samples had higher (p=0.0277, p>0.05) prevalence (28.8%) than males (16.6%). Fishes of the lower reaches had highest (p=0.0029, P>0.05) prevalence (31.7%) followed by middle reaches (16.5%) while the lowest prevalence was observed in samples of fish collected from upper reaches (9.87%). Present study address that Rhabdochona spp in the intestine of snow trout has a long term relationship and call as a natural infection in cyprinids and zoonotic risk to human.
Highlights
Pakistan is one of the deficient country in protein production derived from fish
The fish samples collected in summer were highly 26.6% infected while in winter season the fish samples were found least 20% infected with Rhabdochona spp, no significant association (P>0.005) was found between the fish samples examined and that of infected from both the rivers (Table 2)
Present study provides information regarding the prevalence of a nematode parasite, Rhabdochona spp in the population of S. plagiostomus from different localities in river Swat and river Panjkora, Pakistan
Summary
Pakistan is one of the deficient country in protein production derived from fish. Inland fisheries can have a significant role in the propagation of fish. In Pakistan 179 species of fresh water fishes are survived. Amongst them only 31 species are economically important. In the fresh water reservoirs of Malakand division, almost 40 species of the fish fauna are found. The famous game fish: S. plagiostomus has a wide range of distribution found in all the rivers, and tributaries of Himalaya uptoborders of China, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkistan, Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and north-eastern India. S. plagiostomus is the chief edible fish of the Himalayan region in all over India, including Kashmir, Himanchal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, the Uttar Pradesh foothills and Assam (Day, 1888)
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