Riesgos para la salud asociados al parasitismo del pescado por nematodos de los géneros Anisakis y Pseudoterranova/Health hazards related to occurrence of parasites of the genera Anisakis and Pseudoterranova in fish

Abstract

Anisakiasis, also named larva migrans visceral or eosinophilic granuloma, is a widespread ictiozoonosis. Occurrence of this parasitic disease in Spain has risen dramatically in the last decade. The presence of Anisakis spp. and related species in fish presents both a potential public health threat to humans and also an important cause of economic losses for fish processing industries. Anisakiasis is transmitted through comsumption of fish and squid that harbor the third stage larvae of parasites belonging to the Anisakidae family, both raw or minimally processed. Changes in the way that fish is handled and processed after its capture and also in how fish is cooked at home and elsewhere, could explain why this parasitic disease is progressing so rapidly during the second half of this century. The importance of this parasitosis is growing as a consequence both of the high incidence of Anisakis spp. in fish and the widespread consumer ignorance of this potential threat.