Risk Of Parasitism Research Articles

Who let the cats out? A global meta-analysis on risk of parasitic infection in indoor versus outdoor domestic cats ( Felis catus).

Parasitic infection risks in domestic animals may increase as a result of outdoor activities, often leading to transmission events to and from owners, other domestic animals and wildlife. Furthermore, outdoor access has not been quantified in domestic animals as a risk factor with respect to latitude or parasite transmission pathway. Cats are an ideal model to test parasitic infection risk in outdoor animals because there have been many studies analysing this risk factor in this species; and there is a useful dichotomy in cat ownership between indoor-only cats and those with outdoor access. Thus, we used meta-analysis to determine whether outdoor access is a significant risk factor for parasitic infection in domestic pet cats across 19 different pathogens including many relevant to human, domestic animal and wildlife health, such as Toxoplasma gondii and Toxocara cati. Cats with outdoor access were 2.77 times more likely to be infected with parasites than indoor-only cats. Furthermore, absolute latitude trended towards significance such that each degree increase in absolute latitude increased infection likelihood by 4%. Thus, restricting outdoor access can reduce the risk of parasitic infection in cats and reduce the risk of zoonotic parasite transmission, spillover to sympatric wildlife and negative impacts on feline health.

Prevalence of Nosema microsporidians in commercial bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) is not related to the intensity of their use at the landscape scale

The use of commercial bumblebees to aid crop pollination may result in overcrowding of agricultural landscapes by pollinators. Consequently, transmission of parasites between pollinators via shared flowers may be substantial. In SW Spain, we assessed the initial infection status of commercial Bombus terrestris colonies and then explored spatial and seasonal influences on changes in parasite prevalence across a landscape where bumblebee colonies are intensively used to pollinate berry crops. Colonies were placed inside strawberry greenhouse crops and in woodlands adjacent and distant to crops, in winter and in spring, as representative periods of high and low use of colonies, respectively. Worker bumblebees were collected from colonies upon arrival from a producer and 30 days after being placed in the field. The abdomen of each bumblebee was morphologically inspected for a range of internal parasites. Upon arrival, 71% of the colonies were infected by spores of Nosema. Three bumblebees from two colonies harboured Apicystis bombi spores at the end of their placement in woodlands adjacent to the crops. Nosema colony prevalence did not change significantly either among sites or between seasons. We found no evidence for the density of commercial B. terrestris impacting Nosema prevalence in those commercial colonies, but our results highlight the potential risk for parasites to be transmitted from commercial bumblebees to native pollinators.

Parasitic infections and risk factors associated with Amoebiasis among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in primary health care centres in Lagos Mainland, Lagos, Nigeria

The prevalence of amoebiasis was investigated among pregnant women using a gold standard microscopy method. Stool samples were collected from pregnant women, from two primary health care centers (Iwaya and Ebute-metta). The study involved 203 pregnant women during their visits to the antenatal clinic in Primary health centres at Lagos Mainland from June – October, 2016. Each participant was interviewed using questionnaires to relate prevalence and risk factors to their socio-demographic characteristics. Among these pregnant women, 120 respondents provided their stool samples and this was parasitologically screened with 0.8% prevalence of Entamoeba histolytica infection, 7.5% with Entamoeba Coli, 0.5% with Ascaris lumbricoides, and 0.8% infection with Hookworm. A prevalence of 0.8% for the mixed infection of Ascaris lumbricoides with Entamoeba histolytica, and a prevalence of 1.7% for the mixed infection of Entamoeba coli and Entamoeba histolytica was recorded. Significant association (p<0.05), was established between infection and diarrhoea, and the residence of the pregnantwomen.Socio - demographic factors like age, sex, socio-economic status, type of toilet, source of drinking water (p>0.05) showed no significant association with amoebiasis prevalence. In conclusion, E. histolytica infection is generally low in Lagos state owing to good environmental sanitation within Lagos metropolis. Efforts should therefore be geared towards its elimination by provision of water for Lagos residents.

Poisson-Gamma Mixture Spatially Varying Coefficient Modeling of Small-Area Intestinal Parasites Infection.

Understanding the spatially varying effects of demographic factors on the spatio-temporal variation of intestinal parasites infections is important for public health intervention and monitoring. This paper presents a hierarchical Bayesian spatially varying coefficient model to evaluate the effects demographic factors on intestinal parasites morbidities in Ghana. The modeling relied on morbidity data collected by the District Health Information Management Systems. We developed Poisson and Poisson-gamma spatially varying coefficient models. We used the demographic factors, unsafe drinking water, unsafe toilet, and unsafe liquid waste disposal as model covariates. The models were fitted using the integrated nested Laplace approximations (INLA). The overall risk of intestinal parasites infection was estimated to be 10.9 per 100 people with a wide spatial variation in the district-specific posterior risk estimates. Substantial spatial variation of increasing multiplicative effects of unsafe drinking water, unsafe toilet, and unsafe liquid waste disposal occurs on the variation of intestinal parasites risk. The structured residual spatial variation widely dominates the unstructured component, suggesting that the unaccounted-for risk factors are spatially continuous in nature. The study concludes that both the spatial distribution of the posterior risk and the associated exceedance probability maps are essential for monitoring and control of intestinal parasites.

Thermotolerant Acanthamoeba spp. isolated from recreational water in Gorgan City, north of Iran.

Acanthamoeba as free-living parasites are scattered ubiquitously, throughout the world. This study was aimed to evaluate the presence of Acanthamoeba spp. genotypes in the recreational water sources in Gorgan County, the capital of Golestan Province using both morphological and molecular approaches. Thirty water samples were collected from different recreational waters in Gorgan, the capital of Golestan Province, northern Iran during 2015-2016. Samples were filtered and followed by culture in non-nutrient agar. Acanthamoeba were identified both by morphological and molecular analysis. The pathogenical potential of positive cloned samples were also determined using tolerance test. Twenty-six percent of recreational water were identified as Acanthamoeba spp. based on the morphological analysis and from these positive samples, five samples were successfully sequenced after molecular studies. Phylogenetic analysis showed the clustering of four samples in T4 genotype group and only one sample as T15 genotype. Thermotolerance test revealed that all cloned samples were highly positive. Since the attractiveness of recreational places for people is increasing, the potential risk of this water should be monitored routinely in each region. More studies are needed to better evaluate the risk of this ubiquitous parasite for the human.

Internal parasites infecting dogs in rural areas

Dogs which spend their lives in rural areas are primarily “sentinels” of animal herds. The dogs’ close contact with humans and other animals obligates their caregivers to systematic deworming. The goal is to eliminate potential contamination with parasites which is mostly caused by direct contact or food and water contaminated with dogs’ excretions. The aim of this study was to assess internal parasitic invasions on dogs from rural areas which spend most of their lives on farms. In total, 69 samples of fresh stools were collected for the analysis, including 26 from females and 43 from males. Coprological analysis of stool samples was accompanied with a survey where pet owners gave information on the number of visits to the veterinarian in suspicion of their dogs being infected with the parasites, the number of deworming treatments in the previous year and the dogs’ behavior towards strangers. Also, the age, sex and body weight of dogs were recorded. Statistical analysis of the obtained results was performed using Statistica 12.5 with a medical set by Statsoft. In total, 29 (46,03%) out of 69 fecal samples contained developmental forms of parasites. Research has shown that animals most vulnerable to invasion were in the 6–10 years old age group, mostly males. In addition, the invasion of Toxocara canis roundworms occurred most frequently, as it was found in 12 (41.37%) animals (6 females and 6 males). The analysis of the questionnaires showed that the dog owners’ knowledge of the risk of infection and parasites is unsatisfactory. This corresponded with a small number of deworming treatments. It is significant that nearly half of the owners never dewormed their dogs.

Malaria prevalence and risk analysis among pregnant women in Bungoma county, Kenya

Malaria during pregnancy has adverse consequences on the mother and fetus. Information describing the prevalence, Plasmodium species types and the influence of socio-economic risk factors of malaria in pregnancy is scarce. In order to determine the distribution of malaria parasite species and risk factors among pregnant women in Bungoma County, a cross sectional hospital based study was carried out between March 2016 and January 2017 among 750 consented expectant mothers seeking antenatal services at the Bungoma County hospital. Malaria positivity and species identification were determined microscopically using Giemsa stain technique. Socio economic risk factors were collected using a structured pre-tested questionnaire. Data was analysed using STATA version 12. Descriptive analysis was used to determine malaria prevalence. Chi-square (X2) and regression analyses were used to determine the association between malaria and risk factors with P-

Adaptive changes in sexual signalling in response to urbanization.

Urbanization can cause species to adjust their sexual displays, because the effectiveness of mating signals is influenced by environmental conditions. Despite many examples that show that mating signals in urban conditions differ from those in rural conditions, we do not know whether these differences provide a combined reproductive and survival benefit to the urban phenotype. Here we show that male túngara frogs have increased the conspicuousness of their calls, which is under strong sexual and natural selection by signal receivers, as an adaptive response to city life. The urban phenotype consequently attracts more females than the forest phenotype, while avoiding the costs that are imposed by eavesdropping bats and midges, which we show are rare in urban areas. Finally, we show in a translocation experiment that urban frogs can reduce risk of predation and parasitism when moved to the forest, but that forest frogs do not increase their sexual attractiveness when moved to the city. Our findings thus reveal that urbanization can rapidly drive adaptive signal change via changes in both natural and sexual selection pressures.

Seroprevalence of Hydatidosis in Kaboodarahang, Hamadan Province, Iran, in 2016 - 2017

Background: Cystic echinococcosis (CE) or hydatid cyst as a significant zoonotic disease caused by Echinococcus spp. is endemic in Iran. The present study was carried out to clarify the status of hydatidosis in Kaboodarahang, Hamadan province. Objectives: This descriptive cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the prevalence of the hydatid cyst seroepidemiology in Hamadan province, Iran. Hamadan province was chosen due to its wide range of livestock breeding and human exposure to stray dogs. We studied the seroprevalence of the parasite and infection risks. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, overall 1232 serum samples (524 frommales and 708 from females) were collected by randomized cluster sampling in 2016 - 2017. The sera were analyzed by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using IgG ELISA kits. Before taking the specimens, a questionnaire was filled out for each enrolled patient. The data were analyzed using the Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression for risk factors analysis. Results: The seropositivity was 1% (12 cases including four males and eight females). No significant difference was seen according to gender (P = 0.51). There was no significant association between CE seropositivity and age group, occupation, and region, but the association between keeping a dog (in the house or workplace) and a positive IgG test was statistically significant (P = 0.02). Conclusions: Although the seroprevalence of CE was relatively low in Hamadan province, yet, due to the importance of the disease and zoonotic feature of the organism, all preventive measures should be taken into consideration.

Density-dependent distribution of parasitism risk among underground hosts.

Variation in parasitism risk among hosts can arise from between-patch and within-patch factors, but considerably less information is known about the latter. This study investigated how distributions of the oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis influenced its parasitism by the pupal parasitoid Dirhinus giffardii in the laboratory. Because B. dorsalis larvae pupate underground, pupation depth was considered as an important factor that affects the risk of parasitism. When the density of B. dorsalis larvae was varied (1, 10, and 100 larvae per arena), average pupation depth increased with the density. When the depth of pupae was manipulated, the rate of parasitism differed by depths. Parasitism at 0 cm differed from the random parasitoid model expectation, but parasitism at 1 cm was not different from the model expectation. Few pupae at 2 cm were parasitized. In another experiment, when pupae were simultaneously presented at 0 cm and 1 cm depths, parasitism at 1 cm was weakened by the presence of puape at 0 cm. These results imply that the density of the host influences pupation depth as well as the distribution of parasitism and plays an important role in host-parasitoid dynamics.

Home sick: impacts of migratory beekeeping on honey bee (Apis mellifera) pests, pathogens, and colony size

Honey bees are important pollinators of agricultural crops and the dramatic losses of honey bee colonies have risen to a level of international concern. Potential contributors to such losses include pesticide exposure, lack of floral resources and parasites and pathogens. The damaging effects of all of these may be exacerbated by apicultural practices. To meet the pollination demand of US crops, bees are transported to areas of high pollination demand throughout the year. Compared to stationary colonies, risk of parasitism and infectious disease may be greater for migratory bees than those that remain in a single location, although this has not been experimentally established. Here, we conducted a manipulative experiment to test whether viral pathogen and parasite loads increase as a result of colonies being transported for pollination of a major US crop, California almonds. We also tested if they subsequently transmit those diseases to stationary colonies upon return to their home apiaries. Colonies started with equivalent numbers of bees, however migratory colonies returned with fewer bees compared to stationary colonies and this difference remained one month later. Migratory colonies returned with higher black queen cell virus loads than stationary colonies, but loads were similar between groups one month later. Colonies exposed to migratory bees experienced a greater increase of deformed wing virus prevalence and load compared to the isolated group. The three groups had similar infestations of Varroa mites upon return of the migratory colonies. However, one month later, mite loads in migratory colonies were significantly lower compared to the other groups, possibly because of lower number of host bees. Our study demonstrates that migratory pollination practices has varying health effects for honey bee colonies. Further research is necessary to clarify how migratory pollination practices influence the disease dynamics of honey bee diseases we describe here.

PRELIMINARY STUDY OF WUCHERERIA BANCROFTI L3 LARVAE DETECTION IN CULEX QUINQUEFASCIATUS AS VECTOR POTENTIAL OF FILARIASIS IN ENDEMIC AREA OF SOUTH TANGERANG, BY UTILIZING PCR ASSAY FOR L3-ACTIVATED CUTICLIN TRANSCRIPT mRNA GENE AND TPH-1 GENE

South Tangerang district is an endemic area for Wuchereria bancrofti filariasis with a prevalence rate of microfilaria (mf) at a range of 1 - 2.4% in 2008-2009. Culex quinquefasciatus plays an important role as the major vector of transmission for the parasite. It remains a problem on how to determine that the mosquitoe roles as a vector or disease transmitter when there is no evidence of filarial parasite larvae 3 (L3) by the microscopic examination. In assessing the transmission risk of the filarial parasite, a DNA-based detection method was carried out to specifically detect the presence of W. bancrofti infective L3 larvae in the mosquitoe. The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was performed to detect a specific DNA obtained from W. bancrofti L3 larvae in a very low number or low antigen titer. The assay was purposed as preliminary study to detect the presence of L3 filarial of W.bancrofti in Cx. quinquefasciatus by utilizing the expression of L3-activated cuticlin transcript mRNA gene and tph-1 gene. The result of PCR based analysis of mosquitoes collected from the suggested area showed that there is a low but detectable number of L3 infected mosquito with W. bancrofti. Among the 18 isolated DNA samples of mosquitoes, we found 7 positive samples (38.89%) with the presence of filarial larvae DNA expressing L3-activated cuticlin transcript mRNA and tph-1 genes, which determined as 123 bp for Wb-cut-1.2 and 153bp for tph-1. In contrast by microscopic result, we found no evidence of L3 larvae of the parasite in the mosquitoe’s dissecting samples. The PCR assay in our study was proven sensitive to detect the presence of Wb-L3 filarial larvae in Cx. quinquefasciatus

Parasite risk assessments

Risk assessments are a vital component in creating a parasite control plan. No single parasite control plan will fit all pets, but a risk assessment will enable parasite control to be optimised while avoiding over treatment. Fleas and Toxocara spp. worms are ubiquitous, with all cats and dogs likely to be exposed in their lifetime. Routine treatment for these parasites is therefore the basis for UK parasite control plans with risk assessment then helping to ascertain whether preventative treatments for other parasites are required and at what frequency. Veterinary nurses play a vital role in making parasite risk assessments through dedicated clinics, discussions at reception and by phone.

A reply to “Ranging Behavior Drives Parasite Richness: A More Parsimonious Hypothesis”

This preprint has been reviewed and recommended by Peer Community In Ecology (https://dx.doi.org/10.24072/pci.ecology.100001). In a recent article, Bicca-Marques and Calegaro-Marques [Bicca-Marques JC, Calegaro-Marques C (2016) Ranging behavior drives parasite richness: A more parsimonious hypothesis. American Journal of Primatology 78: 923–927.] discussed the putative assumptions related to an interpretation we provided regarding an observed positive relationship between weekly averaged parasite richness of a group of mandrills (Mandrillussphinx) and their daily path lengths (DPL), published earlier in the same journal [Brockmeyer T, Kappeler PM, Willaume E, Benoit L, Mboumba S, Charpentier MJE (2015) Social organization and space use of a wild mandrill (Mandrillussphinx) group. American Journal of Primatology 77: 1036–1048.]. In our article, we proposed, inter alia, that “the daily travels of mandrills could be seen as a way to escape contaminated habitats on a local scale”. In their article, Bicca-Marques and Calegaro-Marques proposed an alternative mechanism that they considered to be more parsimonious. In their view, increased DPL also increases exposure to novel parasites from the environment. In other words, while we proposed that elevated DPL may be a consequence of elevated parasite richness, they viewed it as a cause. We are happy to see that our study attracted so much interest that it evoked a public comment. We are also grateful to Bicca-Marques and Calegaro-Marques for pointing out an obvious alternative scenario that we failed to discuss and for laying out several key factors and assumptions that should be addressed by future studies examining the links between parasite risk and group ranging. We use this opportunity to advance this discourse by responding to some of the criticisms raised in their discussion of our article. In this reply, we briefly contextualize the main object of criticism. We then discuss the putative parsimony of the two competing scenarios.

Functional significance of cuckoo Cuculus canorus calls: responses of conspecifics, hosts and non-hosts.

Male cuckoos Cuculus canorus produce calls that differ in number of syllables depending on environmental conditions and presence of male and female conspecifics. Why different males produce so repeatable calls that vary greatly in duration among males remains an open question. We used playback of cuckoo calls with few or many syllables (hereafter short and long calls), and woodpigeon calls (a control that also produces few or many syllables), predicting that playback of longer cuckoo calls should attract more male cuckoos (if males with such calls are dominant and successfully out-compete other males due to intraspecific competition), and attract more hosts mobbing male cuckoos (cuckoos with such calls and their females attract more hosts because of an increased risk of parasitism). Because cuckoos differentially parasitize hosts away from human habitation, we also tested whether the number of syllables in cuckoo calls differed with distance from buildings. Playback showed significant effects of number of syllables in cuckoo calls, but not woodpigeon Columba palumbus calls, with an additional effect of distance from human habitation decreasing the response to playback. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that longer cuckoo calls, especially played back near human habitation, attract more conspecifics and hosts than shorter calls. To the best of knowledge this is the first study showing that cuckoo call response modified both other cuckoo individuals, as well as hosts response.

Contrasting impacts of invasive plants and human-altered landscape context on nest survival and brood parasitism of a grassland bird

Humans have altered grasslands in recent decades through crop conversion, woody encroachment, and plant invasions. Concurrently, grassland birds have experienced range-wide declines. Studies have reported effects of plant invasions and land conversion on nest ecology, but few have assessed relative impacts of these changes. We compared impacts of invasive plants and landscape context on nest survival of a grassland songbird, the dickcissel (Spiza americana). We also compared effects on parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) and tested whether parasitism affects survival. From 2013–2016, we monitored 477 dickcissel nests. We measured nest-site vegetation (including woody plants, tall fescue Schedonorus arundinaceous, and other invasive grasses) and measured landscape context at broad scales. Nest survival declined with increasing tall fescue cover at nest sites, and parasitism was more common at nests with greater fescue and woody cover. Some evidence suggested a negative effect of row-crop cover within 1000 m on nest survival, but no landscape patterns unambiguously affected survival. Woodland cover and wooded-edge prevalence were associated with reduced parasitism risk. Parasitized nests had smaller clutches, failed more frequently, and produced fewer fledglings than non-parasitized nests. Determining the impacts of invasive plants and other anthropogenic changes on grassland birds will aid in prioritizing management to improve habitat quality. Our results indicate that optimizing landscape context around habitats may not affect dickcissel nest survival strongly, except perhaps through effects on parasitism. In contrast, controlling tall fescue and shrubs within grasslands could benefit birds by increasing nest success and reducing parasitism.

Experimental shifts in phenology affect fitness, foraging, and parasitism in a native solitary bee

Phenological shifts have been observed in a wide range of taxa, but the fitness consequences of these shifts are largely unknown, and we often lack experimental studies to assess their population-level and evolutionary consequences. Here, we describe an experimental study to determine the fitness consequences of phenological shifts in blue orchard bee (Osmia lignaria) emergence, compare the measured seasonal fitness landscape with observed phenology in the unmanipulated population, and assess seasonal variation in key factors related to reproduction, foraging, and brood parasitism that were expected to affect the shape of the fitness landscape. By tracking individually marked females, we were able to estimate the lifetime fitness impacts of phenological advances and delays. We also measured parasitism risk, floral resource use, and nesting behavior to understand how each varies seasonally, and their combined effects on realized fitness. Survival to nesting decreased non-monotonically throughout the season, with a 20.4% decline in survival rates between the first and second cohorts. The total reproductive output per maternal bee was 14.9% higher in the second cohort compared to the first, and 161% higher in the second cohort compared to the third. Combining seasonal patterns in survival and reproductive output, experimentally advanced females showed 30.6% higher fitness than bees released at the historic peak. In contrast, the nesting phenology of unmanipulated bees showed nearly equal numbers of nesting attempts in the first two cohorts. Both increased resource availability and reduced parasitism risk favored earlier emergence. These results are consistent with a population experiencing directional selection for earlier emergence, adaptive bet-hedging, or developmental constraints. Our study offers insight into the fitness consequences of phenological shifts, the mechanisms affecting the fitness consequences of phenological shifts in a community context, and the potential for adaptive responses to climate change.

Impacts of marine and freshwater aquaculture on wildlife: a global meta‐analysis

AbstractThe global expansion of aquaculture has raised concerns about its environmental impacts, including effects on wildlife. Aquaculture farms are thought to repel some species and function as either attractive population sinks (‘ecological traps’) or population sources for others. We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis of empirical studies documenting interactions between aquaculture operations and vertebrate wildlife. Farms were associated with elevated local abundance and diversity of wildlife, although this overall effect was strongly driven by aggregations of wild fish at sea cages and shellfish farms (abundance: 72×; species richness: 2.0×). Birds were also more diverse at farms (1.1×), but other taxa showed variable and comparatively small effects. Larger effects were reported when researchers selected featureless or unstructured habitats as reference sites. Evidence for aggregation ‘hotspots’ is clear in some systems, but we cannot determine whether farms act as ecological traps for most taxa, as few studies assess either habitat preference or fitness in wildlife. Fish collected near farms were larger and heavier with no change in body condition, but also faced higher risk of disease and parasitism. Birds and mammals were frequently reported preying on stock, but little data exist on the outcomes of such interactions for birds and mammals – farms are likely to function as ecological traps for many species. We recommend researchers measure survival and reproduction in farm‐associated wildlife to make direct, causal links between aquaculture and its effects on wildlife populations.

Feeding behaviour of young larvae of Pieris rapae crucivora (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) and its effect on parasitism by Cotesia glomerata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

We investigated the effect of the feeding behaviour of young larvae of Pieris rapae crucivora Boisduval (Pieridae) on parasitism by the parasitoid wasp, Cotesia glomerata (L.) (Braconidae). Young, 1st-3rd instar larvae used approximately three sites for feeding each day. When not feeding, they moved a short distance away from the feeding sites (= feeding marks) and rested. For first, second and third instar larvae, the distances from the new mark, made within 24 h, to larva at rest were, respectively, about 3.5 mm, 5 mm and more than 10 mm. To resume feeding, they moved back to one of the former feeding sites or a new site. The percentage of the feeding marks older than 24 h that attracted parasitoids was less than 50%. Time spent searching for hosts by a parasitoid was short. Larvae placed 5 mm or more from a feeding mark were less parasitized than the larvae placed near a mark. The number of feeding marks affected parasitism. When comparing single-marked and triple-marked leaves, the percentage parasitism of the larvae on the latter was significantly lower than that of the larvae on the former. On triple-marked leaves, parasitoids visited each mark unevenly. Accordingly, the time spent searching each mark differed significantly among the marks. Because of this confusing effect, hosts are considered to be reducing the risk of parasitism. Our results demonstrate that the feeding habits of young larvae of P. rapae crucivora are adaptive in terms of reducing the risk of parasitism by C. glomerata.

Digenetic Centrocestus Sp. Metacercariae (Trematoda: Heterophyidae) Were Detected on Two Freshwater Ornamental Fish Species Imported Into Turkey: Disease Profile and Risk

<div><!--block-->Ornamental fish trade is one of the reasons for pathogen transfer among different countries. To underline the threat of exported parasite risks, 50 specimens of goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus) and 10 specimens of the female swordtail (Xiphophorus hellerii) imported into Turkey between December 2015 and October 2016 were examined for the presence of parasites. Metacercariae of encysted Centrocestus sp. were found only on the gills of the examined fish. The prevalance rates of Centrocestus sp. metacercariae were 34% on goldfish and 30% on the female swordtail. The mean intensities of infection were 10.58±2.38 and 14.3±13.3, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first report of infection with metacercariae of Centrocestus sp. in the female swordtail (X. hellerii). These results clearly emphasize that pathogen entrance into Turkey occurs through ornamental fish trade and urgent measures must be implemented to conserve our own aquatic species.</div>