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Specht NR, Keve G, Fernández-Maldonado C, Caro AC, Takács N, Kontschán J, Hornok S. Molecular investigation of endoparasites of marine mammals (Cetacea: Mysticeti, Odontoceti) in the Western Mediterranean. Front Vet Sci 2024; 11:1431625. [PMID: 39318600 PMCID: PMC11420046 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1431625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Whales, dolphins, and porpoises are susceptible to infections by protozoan and metazoan parasites. Methods In this study, tissue samples, as well as flatworms and roundworms, were collected from a common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), three short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), two striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), a harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), a long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas), and a fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus). These samples were molecularly analyzed. Results In one D. delphis, Toxoplasma gondii was detected in multiple organs, including the cerebellum. The cysts of the tapeworms Clistobothrium delphini and Clistobothrium grimaldii were identified in G. melas. Flukes collected from D. delphis belong to Brachycladium atlanticum, while those removed from S. coeruleoalba probably represent a new species. Four species of lungworms were also identified: Halocercus delphini in S. coeruleoalba, Halocercus sp. in T. truncatus, Stenurus globicephalae in G. melas, and a potentially new Pharurus sp. in P. phocoena. Conclusion These findings show, to the best of our knowledge, for the first time, the presence of T. gondii DNA in D. delphis. The cerebellum of the animal was Toxoplasma-infected, which might be relevant to inadvertent stranding. In this study, new genetic markers were sequenced for several helminth parasites of marine mammals, possibly including undescribed species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas R. Specht
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gergő Keve
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- HUN-REN-UVMB Climate Change: New Blood-Sucking Parasites and Vector-Borne Pathogens Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | | | - Nóra Takács
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- HUN-REN-UVMB Climate Change: New Blood-Sucking Parasites and Vector-Borne Pathogens Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Jenő Kontschán
- Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Plant Sciences, Albert Kázmér Faculty of Mosonmagyaróvár, Széchenyi István University, Mosonmagyaróvár, Hungary
| | - Sándor Hornok
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- HUN-REN-UVMB Climate Change: New Blood-Sucking Parasites and Vector-Borne Pathogens Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
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Cipriani P, Palomba M, Giulietti L, Aco-Alburqueque R, Andolfi R, ten Doeschate M, Brownlow A, Davison NJ, Mattiucci S. Anisakid parasite diversity in a pygmy sperm whale, Kogia breviceps (Cetacea: Kogiidae) stranded at the edge of its distribution range in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean. Parasite 2024; 31:43. [PMID: 39082879 PMCID: PMC11290333 DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2024042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Anisakid nematodes are a globally distributed group of marine mammal parasites. Kogiid whales, including the pygmy sperm whale Kogia breviceps, host an assemblage of specific anisakid species. Currently, three species are known to be specific to kogiid hosts, i.e., Skrjabinisakis paggiae, S. brevispiculata, and the less studied Pseudoterranova ceticola. The aim of this study was to investigate the species diversity of anisakid nematodes sampled from a pygmy sperm whale stranded in 2013 at the edge of its distribution range in the Northeast Atlantic, specifically in the North of Scotland. Nematodes were assigned to genus level based on morphology and identified by sequence analysis of the mtDNA cox2 gene and the rDNA ITS region. The present finding represents the first observation of syntopic occurrence of adult stages of S. brevispiculata, S. paggiae, and P. ceticola in a pygmy sperm whale in the Northeast Atlantic, and represent the northernmost record of these species in this area. Skrjabinisakis brevispiculata was the most abundant species, accounting for 55% of the identified nematodes, predominantly in the adult stage. Anisakis simplex (s.s.) was also abundant, with most specimens in the preadult stage, followed by S. paggiae and P. ceticola. The pygmy sperm whale is rarely documented in Scottish waters, and its occurrence in the area could suggest expansion of its geographic range. The presence of S. brevispiculata, S. paggiae, and P. ceticola in this whale species in this region may indicate a shift in the whole host community involved in the life cycle of these parasites in northern waters. However, it is also plausible that these parasites were acquired while the whale was feeding in more southern regions, before migrating northbound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Cipriani
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Section of Parasitology, Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy
- Institute of Marine Research (IMR) Bergen Norway
| | - Marialetizia Palomba
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (DEB), Tuscia University Viterbo Italy
| | | | - Renato Aco-Alburqueque
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Section of Parasitology, Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy
| | - Roberta Andolfi
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Section of Parasitology, Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy
| | - Mariel ten Doeschate
- Scottish Marine Animal Scheme, School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences University of Glasgow Glasgow UK
| | - Andrew Brownlow
- Scottish Marine Animal Scheme, School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences University of Glasgow Glasgow UK
| | - Nicholas J. Davison
- Scottish Marine Animal Scheme, School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences University of Glasgow Glasgow UK
| | - Simonetta Mattiucci
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Section of Parasitology, Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy
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Shiozaki A, Nakagun S, Tajima Y, Amano M. A first record of digenean parasites of the dwarf sperm whale Kogia sima with morphological and molecular information. ADVANCES IN MARINE BIOLOGY 2023; 96:39-61. [PMID: 37980128 DOI: 10.1016/bs.amb.2023.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
Two species of digenean trematodes of the family Brachycladiidae were obtained from two male dwarf sperm whales Kogia sima that stranded along the island of Kyushu, southern Japan in 2017. From the liver of the first animal, a single, large gravid specimen of a digenean species was collected. The morphological features were consistent with those of the genus Brachycladium. The worm had a large body and was characterized by anterior caeca without lateral diverticula, the shape of testes, ovary, and eggs. Molecular analyses using gene sequences of the 28S rRNA and the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 3 also supported the inclusion of this specimen into the genus Brachycladium. The identity of this worm is undetermined due to the lack of information on the genus and is reported as Brachycladium sp. From the cranial sinuses of the second animal, 33 specimens of digeneans were collected that were morphologically identified as Nasitrema gondo. This report documents a new host record for N. gondo, and the sequence information is provided for this digenean for the first time. This is the second record of digenean parasites for the family Kogiidae, and the first record with morphological and molecular information. The possibility of digenean infection in the liver and cranial sinus should be kept in mind during the necropsy of stranded kogiids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akira Shiozaki
- Department of Zoology, National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo, Amakubo, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
| | - Shotaro Nakagun
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido, Japan; Section of Anatomic Pathology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Yuko Tajima
- Department of Zoology, National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo, Amakubo, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Masao Amano
- Graduate School of Fisheries Science and Environmental Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
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Population Genetic Structure of Anisakis simplex Infecting the European Hake from North East Atlantic Fishing Grounds. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13020197. [PMID: 36670737 PMCID: PMC9854729 DOI: 10.3390/ani13020197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The European hake, one of the most commercially valuable species in ICES fishing areas, is considered an important neglected source of zoonotic risk by nematode parasites belonging to the genus Anisakis. Merluccius merluccius is, by far, the most important host of Anisakis spp. at the European fishing grounds, in terms of demographic infection values, and carries the highest parasite burden. These high parasite population densities within an individual fish host offer a chance to explore new sources of variations for the genetic structure of Anisakis spp. populations. A total of 873 Anisakis spp. third-stage larvae, originally sampled from viscera and muscular sections of hake collected at ten fishing grounds, were primarily identified using ITS rDNA region as molecular marker. After that, we used mtDNA cox2 gene to reveal the high haplotype diversity and the lack of genetic structure for A. simplex. Dominant haplotypes were shared among the different fishing areas and fish sections analyzed. Results indicate a clear connection of A. simplex from European hake along the Northern North Sea to the Portuguese coast, constituting a single genetic population but revealing a certain level of genetic sub-structuring on the Northwest coast of Scotland. This study also provides useful information to advance the understanding of parasite speciation to different fish host tissues or microenvironments.
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Cipriani P, Palomba M, Giulietti L, Marcer F, Mazzariol S, Santoro M, Alburqueque RA, Covelo P, López A, Santos MB, Pierce GJ, Brownlow A, Davison NJ, McGovern B, Frantzis A, Alexiadou P, Højgaard DP, Mikkelsen B, Paoletti M, Nascetti G, Levsen A, Mattiucci S. Distribution and genetic diversity of Anisakis spp. in cetaceans from the Northeast Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13664. [PMID: 35953527 PMCID: PMC9372146 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17710-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasite biodiversity in cetaceans represents a neglected component of the marine ecosystem. This study aimed to investigate the distribution and genetic diversity of anisakid nematodes of the genus Anisakis sampled in cetaceans from the Northeast Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. A total of 478 adults and pre-adults of Anisakis spp. was identified by a multilocus genetic approach (mtDNA cox2, EF1 α − 1 nDNA and nas 10 nDNA gene loci) from 11 cetacean species. A clear pattern of host preference was observed for Anisakis spp. at cetacean family level: A. simplex (s.s.) and A. pegreffii infected mainly delphinids; A. physeteris and A. brevispiculata were present only in physeterids, and A. ziphidarum occurred in ziphiids. The role of cetacean host populations from different waters in shaping the population genetic structure of A. simplex (s.s.), A. pegreffii and A. physeteris was investigated for the first time. Significant genetic sub-structuring was found in A. simplex (s.s.) populations of the Norwegian Sea and the North Sea compared to those of the Iberian Atlantic, as well as in A. pegreffii populations of the Adriatic and the Tyrrhenian Seas compared to those of the Iberian Atlantic waters. Substantial genetic homogeneity was detected in the Mediterranean Sea population of A. physeteris. This study highlights a strong preference by some Anisakis spp. for certain cetacean species or families. Information about anisakid biodiversity in their cetacean definitive hosts, which are apex predators of marine ecosystems, acquires particular importance for conservation measures in the context of global climate change phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Cipriani
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Section of Parasitology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy. .,Institute of Marine Research (IMR), Nordnes, Bergen, Norway.
| | - Marialetizia Palomba
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (DEB), Tuscia University, Viterbo, Italy
| | | | - Federica Marcer
- Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, Padova University, Padova, Italy
| | - Sandro Mazzariol
- Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, Padova University, Padova, Italy
| | - Mario Santoro
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Renato Aco Alburqueque
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Section of Parasitology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Pablo Covelo
- Coordinadora para o Estudo dos Mamíferos Mariños CEMMA, Gondomar, Pontevedra, Spain
| | - Alfredo López
- Coordinadora para o Estudo dos Mamíferos Mariños CEMMA, Gondomar, Pontevedra, Spain.,Departamento de Biología & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - M Begoña Santos
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo, Vigo, Spain
| | | | - Andrew Brownlow
- Scottish Marine Animal Scheme, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Nicholas J Davison
- Scottish Marine Animal Scheme, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | | | | | | | | | - Bjarni Mikkelsen
- Faroe Marine Research Institute (Havstovan), Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
| | - Michela Paoletti
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (DEB), Tuscia University, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Nascetti
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (DEB), Tuscia University, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Arne Levsen
- Institute of Marine Research (IMR), Nordnes, Bergen, Norway
| | - Simonetta Mattiucci
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Section of Parasitology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
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Dzido J, Rolbiecki L, Izdebska JN, Rokicki J, Kuczkowski T, Pawliczka I. A global checklist of the parasites of the harbor porpoise Phocoena phocoena, a critically-endangered species, including new findings from the Baltic Sea. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2021; 15:290-302. [PMID: 34336594 PMCID: PMC8313437 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2021.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The common harbor porpoise is a widely-distributed marine mammal with three known subspecies, including P. phocoena phocoena, with a clearly distinct and critically endangered (CR) subpopulation from the Baltic Sea (Baltic Proper). As part of an assessment of the condition and health threats of these mammals, it is important to conduct parasitological monitoring. The aim of the study was therefore to compare the data on porpoise parasitofauna from this subpopulation with those on porpoises from other areas. The study included 37 individuals from 1995 to 2019; eight species of parasites were found (prevalence 83.8%, mean intensity 724.2, range 2-3940), with a predominance of lung nematodes - Stenurus minor (94.7%), Torynurus convolutus (69.4%), Pseudalius inflexus (63.8%), Halocercus invaginatus (22.2%); the highest intensity was recorded for S. minor (989, 53-2928). Two species of Anisakidae (Anisakis simplex - 33.3%, Contracaecum sp. - 20.0%) were found in the digestive tracts, which were a new record for this population. The fluke Campula oblonga was found in the livers of 31.3% of porpoises. The tapeworm Diphylobothrium stemmacephalum was also recorded in the intestine of one individual; this is typical for these hosts, but previously undetected in the Baltic subpopulation. Parasites coexisted in numerous hosts, constituting a heavy burden for them. The obtained data were compared with those from the P. phocoena parasitofauna from other regions, based on a compiled checklist (1809-2021) including all species of porpoise parasites (55 taxa). Compared to the worldwide porpoise parasitofauna checklist, the number of parasites found in the nominative subspecies (Baltic Proper subpopulation) is small: including only 10 taxa (eight in the current study). These species are typical of porpoises and usually the most common; however, the level of infection of Baltic porpoises (intensity and total parasite load) is very high, which can undoubtedly have a negative impact on their condition and overall health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Dzido
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Leszek Rolbiecki
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Joanna N Izdebska
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Jerzy Rokicki
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Tytus Kuczkowski
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Iwona Pawliczka
- Institute of Oceanography, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, University of Gdańsk, Morska 2, 84-150, Hel, Poland
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Pool R, Romero-Rubira C, Raga JA, Fernández M, Aznar FJ. Determinants of lungworm specificity in five cetacean species in the western Mediterranean. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:196. [PMID: 33845871 PMCID: PMC8042974 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04629-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Current data about Pseudaliidae show contrasting patterns of host specificity between congeneric species. We investigated how both contact and compatibility between hosts and parasites contributed to the patterns of lungworm infection observed in a community of five species of cetaceans in the western Mediterranean. METHODS The lungs of 119 striped dolphins Stenella coeruleoalba, 18 bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus, 7 Risso's dolphins Grampus griseus, 7 long-finned pilot whales Globicephala melas, and 6 common dolphins Delphinus delphis were analysed for lungworms. Parasites were identified by morphology and analysis of ITS2 sequences using both maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods. Body length was used as a proxy for lungworm species fitness in different hosts and compared with Kruskal-Wallis tests. Infection parameters were compared between cetacean species using Fisher's exact tests and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Phylogenetic specificity was explored by collating the overall lungworm species prevalence values in hosts from previous surveys in various localities. To explore the relative importance of vertical and horizontal transmission, Spearman's rank correlation was used to look for an association between host size and lungworm burden. A Mantel test was used to explore the association between lungworm species similarity and prey overlap using dietary data. RESULTS Halocercus delphini had higher infection levels in striped dolphins and common dolphins; Stenurus ovatus had higher infection levels in bottlenose dolphins; and Stenurus globicephalae had higher infection levels in long-finned pilot whales. These results are congruent with findings on a global scale. Morphometric comparison showed that the larger nematodes were found in the same host species that had the highest parasite burden. Lungworms were found in neonatal striped dolphins and a Risso's dolphin, and there was a weak but significant correlation between host size and parasite burden in striped dolphins and bottlenose dolphins. There was also a weak but significant association between prey overlap and lungworm species similarity. CONCLUSIONS Data indicate that phylogenetic specificity has an important role in governing host-parasite associations, as indicated by the higher infection levels and larger nematode size in certain hosts. However, diet can also influence infection patterns in these preferred hosts and contribute to less severe infections in other hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Pool
- Marine Zoology Unit, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Science Park, University of Valencia, PO Box 22085, Valencia, 46071, Spain.
| | - Clara Romero-Rubira
- Marine Zoology Unit, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Science Park, University of Valencia, PO Box 22085, Valencia, 46071, Spain
| | - Juan Antonio Raga
- Marine Zoology Unit, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Science Park, University of Valencia, PO Box 22085, Valencia, 46071, Spain
| | - Mercedes Fernández
- Marine Zoology Unit, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Science Park, University of Valencia, PO Box 22085, Valencia, 46071, Spain
| | - Francisco Javier Aznar
- Marine Zoology Unit, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Science Park, University of Valencia, PO Box 22085, Valencia, 46071, Spain
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Caira JN, Jensen K, Pickering M, Ruhnke TR, Gallagher KA. Intrigue surrounding the life-cycles of species of Clistobothrium (Cestoda: Phyllobothriidea) parasitising large pelagic sharks. Int J Parasitol 2020; 50:1043-1055. [PMID: 32979336 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2020.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to locate the adults, and thus also the definitive hosts, of three species of marine mammal-parasitising larval cestodes that have molecular affinities with Clistobothrium. New collections led to the discovery of adults of two new species of Clistobothrium, one from the longfin mako shark and one from the salmon shark. New material of Clistobothrium tumidum was collected from the great white shark and new material of a previously reported undescribed species of Clistobothrium was collected from the porbeagle shark. Larvae of Clistobothrium were opportunistically collected from sockeye salmon and four species of small squaliform sharks. Sequence data for the D1-D3 region of the 28S rDNA gene were generated for all but one of these taxa. The tree resulting from maximum likelihood analysis of those data, in combination with comparable data from GenBank, indicates that squaliform sharks can serve as intermediate hosts for the species from the porbeagle shark. The larvae from salmon exhibit a unique molecular signature and, based on diet data, may be conspecific with adults from the salmon shark. Informed by sequence data for new material of Monorygma and existing data for Phyllobothrium, the larvae provisionally identified as Monorygma grimaldii and Phyllobothrium delphini were formally transferred to Clistobothrium. Especially puzzling was that the molecular signatures of none of the eight species of Clistobothrium match those of the three marine mammal-parasitising larval forms. We are at a loss as to where else to look for the three corresponding adult forms. The great white shark remains the most likely candidate given it consumes marine mammals with some regularity, but seems unlikely to host five species of Clistobothrium. Alternatively, we are left wondering if the large marine mammal predator Carcharocles megalodon may not be extinct after all.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine N Caira
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, 75 N. Eagleville Rd., Storrs, CT 06269-3043, USA.
| | - Kirsten Jensen
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and the Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, 1200 Sunnyside Ave, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Maria Pickering
- Department of Biological Sciences, Meredith College, 3800 Hillsborough St., Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
| | - Timothy R Ruhnke
- Department of Biology, West Virginia State University, Barron Drive, Institute, WV 25112-1000, USA
| | - Kaitlin A Gallagher
- Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre, 100 Pachena Road, Bamfield, British Columbia VOR 1B0, Canada
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Correia AM, Gil Á, Valente RF, Rosso M, Sousa‐Pinto I, Pierce GJ. Distribution of cetacean species at a large scale ‐ Connecting continents with the Macaronesian archipelagos in the eastern North Atlantic. DIVERS DISTRIB 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Mafalda Correia
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR) Matosinhos Portugal
- Department of Biology Faculty of Sciences University of Porto (FCUP) Porto Portugal
| | - Ágatha Gil
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR) Matosinhos Portugal
- Department of Biology and Environment Centro de Investigação e Tecnologias Agroambientais e Biológicas (CITAB) Universidade de Trás‐os‐Montes and Alto Douro Vila Real Portugal
| | - Raul Fonseca Valente
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR) Matosinhos Portugal
- Department of Biology Faculty of Sciences University of Porto (FCUP) Porto Portugal
| | - Massimiliano Rosso
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR) Matosinhos Portugal
- CIMA Research Foundation Savona Italy
| | - Isabel Sousa‐Pinto
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR) Matosinhos Portugal
- Department of Biology Faculty of Sciences University of Porto (FCUP) Porto Portugal
| | - Graham John Pierce
- Instituto de Investigacións Mariñas (CSIC) Vigo, Pontevedra Spain
- Oceanlab University of Aberdeen Aberdeen UK
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The taxonomic status of Skrjabinalius guevarai Gallego & Selva, 1979 (Nematoda: Pseudaliidae) and the synonymy of Skrjabinalius Delyamure, 1942 and Halocercus Baylis & Daubney, 1925. Syst Parasitol 2020; 97:389-401. [PMID: 32533535 DOI: 10.1007/s11230-020-09921-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/30/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Within the cetacean lungworm family Pseudaliidae Raillet & Henry, 1909, the distinction between the two genera of the subfamily Halocercinae Delamure, 1952, i.e. Halocercus Baylis & Daubney, 1925 and Skrjabinalius Delyamure, 1942, is principally based on the structure and shape of the male copulatory bursa. In species of Halocercus, the bursa is unlobed, whereas in the two species included in Skrjabinalius, S. cryptocephalus Delyamure, 1942 and Skrjabinalius guevarai Gallego & Selva, 1979, the bursa is described as clearly lobed. During a parasitological analysis of cetaceans from the Spanish Mediterranean, we collected a number of specimens of S. guevarai with variable levels of bursal lobulation, including individuals with unlobed bursae. Examination of voucher specimens of the type-species of Halocercus, H. delphini Baylis & Daubney, 1925, collected from cetaceans in the North-East Atlantic revealed the same variations in bursal shape, and the same arrangement of bursal rays and papillae. A morphometric comparison did not reveal substantial differences between both species. Moreover, Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference analyses of the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) sequences of 11 specimens of S. guevarai and one of H. delphini grouped both species together, regardless of bursal shape, in a highly supported clade within the Pseudaliidae. Accordingly, we consider S. guevarai as a junior synonym of H. delphini. The great variability found in bursal lobulation in the type-species of Halocercus invalidates the use of this trait as a genus-level diagnostic character and, therefore, Skrjabinalius should also be considered synonymous with Halocercus.
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Recent increase of ulcerative lesions caused by Anisakis spp. in cetaceans from the north-east Atlantic. J Helminthol 2020; 94:e127. [PMID: 32100663 DOI: 10.1017/s0022149x20000115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Species of Anisakis typically infect the stomach of cetaceans worldwide, often causing ulcerative lesions that may compromise the host's health. These nematodes also cause anisakiasis or allergic reactions in humans. To assess the risks of this emerging zoonosis, data on long-term changes in Anisakis infections in cetaceans are necessary. Here, we compare the prevalence and severity of ulcerative lesions caused by Anisakis spp. in five cetacean species stranded along the north-west Spanish coast in 2017-2018 with published data from 1991-1996. Open ulcers were found in 32/43 short-beaked common dolphins, Delphinus delphis; 3/5 striped dolphins, Stenella coeruleoalba; 1/7 bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus; and 1/3 harbour porpoises, Phocoena phocoena meridionalis; a single individual of long-finned pilot whale, Globicephala melas, was found uninfected. In common dolphins, the mean abundance of open ulcers per host was 1.1 (95% confidence interval: 0.8-1.3), with a maximum diameter (mean ± standard deviation) of 25.4 ± 16.9 mm. Stomachs with scars or extensive fibrosis putatively associated with Anisakis were detected in 14 and five animals, respectively. A molecular analysis based on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase II gene using 18 worms from three cetacean species revealed single or mixed infections of Anisakis simplex sensu stricto and Anisakis pegreffii. Compared with the period 1991-1996, we found a strong increase of prevalence, abundance and extension of ulcerative lesions in most cetacean species. Anisakis populations could have increased in the study area over the last decades, although we cannot rule out that a higher environmental stress has also boosted the pathological effects of these parasites.
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Subcutaneous merocercoids of Clistobothrium sp. in two Cape fur seals ( Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus). INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2018; 7:99-105. [PMID: 29988787 PMCID: PMC6032031 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2018.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2017] [Revised: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Fur seals represent intermediate hosts of the cestode Clistobothrium. Large sharks are definitive hosts for these parasites. Two female, 25– and 27-year-old fur seals, caught in the 1980s at the South African coast, were examined pathomorphologically. Both animals showed multifocal, up to 1 cm in diameter large cavities of the thoracic and abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue containing intraluminal metacestodes of tapeworms, which were surrounded by a locally extensive, pyogranulomatous panniculitis. The metacestodes (merocercoids) of one fur seal were isolated from the subcutaneous adipose tissue and characterized morphologically and for the first time from this host by molecular techniques. The morphometric data corresponded with ‘delphini'-morphotype merocercoids, but the sequence of the partial 28S ribosomal RNA gene identified them as conspecific with merocercoids of the morphotype ‘grimaldii’. These merocercoid types are morphologically Type XV metacestodes of marine tapeworms and represent different species of Clistobothrium. Sequence data were generated for 18S, ITS1, 5.8S, ITS2, partial 28S ribosomal DNA and partial mitochondrial cox1 gene and phylogenetic analysis of 18S rRNA and partial 28S rRNA genes identified the fur seal merocercoids as Clistobothrium species. However, it cannot yet be assigned to species level because of limited molecular data from adult stages. Most likely, both fur seals were infected as juveniles in their original habitat, the coastal regions of South Africa. The metacestode infection is probably an incidental finding, however, there is a chronic inflammatory reaction next to the subcutaneous merocercoids. It is noteworthy, that the merocercoids remain in a potentially infective stage even after more than 20 years. Subcutaneous metacestodes in fur seals cause asymptomatic chronic panniculitis. Metacestodes remain potentially infectious for more than 20 years. First molecular characterization of merocercoids from seals. Merocercoids of marine tapeworm (metacestode Type XV): delphini-morphotype but grimaldii-genotype. 18S and 28S phylogeny verified Clistobothrium sp. as adult tapeworm.
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13
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Metazoan parasites from odontocetes off New Zealand: new records. Parasitol Res 2017; 116:2861-2868. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-017-5573-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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14
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Godoy-Vitorino F, Rodriguez-Hilario A, Alves AL, Gonçalves F, Cabrera-Colon B, Mesquita CS, Soares-Castro P, Ferreira M, Marçalo A, Vingada J, Eira C, Santos PM. The microbiome of a striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) stranded in Portugal. Res Microbiol 2016; 168:85-93. [PMID: 27615066 DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2016.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2016] [Revised: 07/20/2016] [Accepted: 08/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Infectious diseases with epizootic consequences have not been fully studied in marine mammals. Presently, the unprecedented depth of sequencing, made available by high-throughput approaches, allows detailed comparisons of the microbiome in health and disease. This is the first report of the striped dolphin microbiome in different body sites. Samples from one striped female edematous dolphin were acquired from a variety of body niches, including the blowhole, oral cavity, oral mucosa, tongue, stomach, intestines and genital mucosa. Detailed 16S rRNA analysis of over half a million sequences identified 235 OTUs. Beta diversity analyses indicated that microbial communities vary in structure and cluster by sample origin. Pathogenic, Gram-negative, facultative and obligate anaerobic taxa were significantly detected, including Cetobacterium, Fusobacterium and Ureaplasma. Phocoenobacter and Arcobacter dominated the oral-type samples, while Cardiobacteriaceae and Vibrio were associated with the blowhole and Photobacterium were abundant in the gut. We report for the first time the association of Epulopiscium with a marine mammal gut. The striped dolphin microbiota shows variation in structure and diversity according to the organ type. The high dominance of Gram-negative anaerobic pathogens evidences a cetacean microbiome affected by human-related bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipa Godoy-Vitorino
- Microbial Ecology and Genomics Lab, Department of Natural Sciences, Inter American University of Puerto Rico, Metropolitan Campus, P.O. Box 191293, 00919-1293 San Juan, Puerto Rico.
| | - Arnold Rodriguez-Hilario
- Microbial Ecology and Genomics Lab, Department of Natural Sciences, Inter American University of Puerto Rico, Metropolitan Campus, P.O. Box 191293, 00919-1293 San Juan, Puerto Rico.
| | - Ana Luísa Alves
- Department of Biology and Centre for Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-087 Braga, Portugal.
| | - Filipa Gonçalves
- Department of Biology and Centre for Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-087 Braga, Portugal.
| | - Beatriz Cabrera-Colon
- Microbial Ecology and Genomics Lab, Department of Natural Sciences, Inter American University of Puerto Rico, Metropolitan Campus, P.O. Box 191293, 00919-1293 San Juan, Puerto Rico.
| | - Cristina Sousa Mesquita
- Department of Biology and Centre for Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-087 Braga, Portugal.
| | - Pedro Soares-Castro
- Department of Biology and Centre for Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-087 Braga, Portugal.
| | - Marisa Ferreira
- Department of Biology and Centre for Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-087 Braga, Portugal; Portuguese Wildlife Society (SPVS), Quiaios Field Station, Apartado 16 EC Quiaios, 3081-101 Figueira da Foz, Portugal.
| | - Ana Marçalo
- Department of Biology and CESAM, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - José Vingada
- Portuguese Wildlife Society (SPVS), Quiaios Field Station, Apartado 16 EC Quiaios, 3081-101 Figueira da Foz, Portugal; Department of Biology and CESAM, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-087 Braga, Portugal.
| | - Catarina Eira
- Portuguese Wildlife Society (SPVS), Quiaios Field Station, Apartado 16 EC Quiaios, 3081-101 Figueira da Foz, Portugal; Department of Biology and CESAM, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Pedro Miguel Santos
- Department of Biology and Centre for Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-087 Braga, Portugal.
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Anisakis Dujardin, 1845 infection (Nematoda: Anisakidae) in Pygmy Sperm Whale Kogia breviceps Blainville, 1838 from west Pacific region off the coast of Philippine archipelago. Parasitol Res 2016; 115:3663-8. [PMID: 27300704 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-016-5169-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Cetaceans are definitive hosts of anisakid nematodes known to cause human anisakidosis. Despite the reported strandings of different cetaceans in the Philippines, studies on anisakids from these definitive hosts are limited. Here, the morphologically and molecularly identified anisakid species, specifically those of the genus Anisakis Dujardin, 1845 in stranded Pygmy Sperm Whale Kogia breviceps Blainville, 1838 in the west Pacific region off Philippine waters are presented. Morphological data using SEM and LM revealed multi-infections with different Anisakis species belonging to Anisakis type I and type II groups. Molecularly, PCR-RFLP on the ITS rDNA and sequence data analyses of both ITS rDNA and mtDNA cox2 regions identified those from Anisakis type I group as A. typica (Diesing, 1860), whereas those from type II group as A. brevispiculata Dollfus, 1968, and A. paggiae Mattiucci et al. (Syst Parasitol 61:157-171, 2005). This is the first record of Anisakis infection from this host stranded in the west Pacific region off the coast of Philippine waters and new geographical record for A. paggiae.
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van Beurden SJ, IJsseldijk LL, Cremers HJWM, Gröne A, Verheije MH, Begeman L. Anisakis spp. induced granulomatous dermatitis in a harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena and a bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2015; 112:257-263. [PMID: 25590777 DOI: 10.3354/dao02818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Cetaceans are well known definitive hosts of parasitic nematodes of the genus Anisakis (Nematoda: Anisakidae). Anisakid nematodes are also a health hazard for humans, potentially causing gastrointestinal infections or allergic reactions following the consumption of infected fish. In marine mammals, the nematodes develop from third-stage larvae to adults in the stomachs. In the first (or fore-) stomach, these parasites are typically associated with mucosal ulceration; parasites have not been identified in other organs. Two small cetaceans, a bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus and a harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena, presented marked gastric A. simplex infection, as well as chronic granulomatous and ulcerative dermatitis with intralesional nematodes, bordered by epithelial hyperplasia. Nematodes in the skin of the bottlenose dolphin were morphologically similar to Anisakis spp. Morphology of the parasitic remnants in the skin lesion of the harbour porpoise was indistinct, but molecular identification confirmed the presence of A. simplex. This is the first report of Anisakis spp. infection in the skin of marine mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J van Beurden
- Pathology Division, Department of Pathobiology, and Dutch Wildlife Health Centre, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, PO Box 80.165, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Morphological and molecular observations on the status of Crassicauda magna, a parasite of the subcutaneous tissues of the pygmy sperm whale, with a re-evaluation of the systematic relationships of the genus Crassicauda. Parasitol Res 2014; 114:835-41. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-014-4245-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2014] [Accepted: 11/24/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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18
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Blažeković K, Pleić IL, Đuras M, Gomerčić T, Mladineo I. Three Anisakis spp. isolated from toothed whales stranded along the eastern Adriatic Sea coast. Int J Parasitol 2014; 45:17-31. [PMID: 25449948 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2014.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2014] [Revised: 06/17/2014] [Accepted: 07/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Knowledge concerning cetacean ecology in the Mediterranean is limited but important for sustainable planning and enforcement of appropriate conservation measures. Any information that might help to elucidate their ecology is essential. We explored the population and genetic structures of Anisakis spp. nematodes isolated from four toothed whale species - bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), Risso's dolphins (Grampus griseus) and Cuvier's beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris) - stranded along the eastern Adriatic Sea coast (1990-2012) to reveal more information on host ecological patterns. Lower parasite prevalence was observed in resident dolphin species compared with occasionally occurring species, as well as in young compared with adult dolphins, indicating different feeding habits related to age. No unequivocal relationship between the biological traits of a host (age, body length, body mass and blubber depth) and Anisakis population parameters was observed. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a new geographical record of Anisakis simplex sensu stricto (1.96%) and Anisakis physeteris (1.31%) in the Adriatic Sea in addition to resident Anisakis pegreffii (96.73%). In an assessment of the Adriatic Sea and oceans worldwide, the genetic structure of Anisakis revealed that A. pegreffii populations do not differ among various final host species but do differ with respect to geographical location in contrast to previously accepted Anisakis panmixia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Martina Đuras
- University of Zagreb, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Tomislav Gomerčić
- University of Zagreb, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ivona Mladineo
- Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, 21000 Split, Croatia.
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Romero MA, Fernández M, Dans SL, García NA, González R, Crespo EA. Gastrointestinal parasites of bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus from the extreme Southwestern Atlantic, with notes on diet composition. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2014; 108:61-70. [PMID: 24492055 DOI: 10.3354/dao02700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We surveyed the gastrointestinal tracts of 6 bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus from Patagonia to check for helminth parasites and characterize dolphin diet. All dolphins harbored parasites (6477 helminths). We recorded 7 species, including nematodes Anisakis simplex s.l., Pseudoterranova decipiens, acanthocephalans Corynosoma cetaceum, C. australe, and digeneans Braunina cordiformis, Pholeter gastrophilus and Synthesium tursionis. Among the gastric helminths, the most prevalent species were C. cetaceum and A. simplex while C. australe and S. tursionis inhabited the intestine at low prevalence. This is the first report of C. australe and P. decipiens in bottlenose dolphins. Regarding diet, 5 stomachs contained food remains (consisting of 103 prey items). The most important prey species were Geotria australis and Stromateus brasiliensis, but their role in parasite transmission is unclear. At the community level, the gastrointestinal parasite community of T. truncatus was depauperate and strongly overlapped the community described for pelagic dolphins inhabiting Patagonia, suggesting a strong local influence in shaping helminth communities. Nevertheless, these observations are at odds with the notion that oceanic cetaceans have comparatively poorer helminth fauna than neritic species such as bottlenose dolphins, due to the lower likelihood of parasite exchange.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Alejandra Romero
- Instituto de Biología Marina y Pesquera Almirante Storni (IBMPAS), Güemes 1030, 8520 San Antonio Oeste, Río Negro, Argentina
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Superinfection reconciles host-parasite association and cross-species transmission. Theor Popul Biol 2013; 90:129-34. [PMID: 24161558 PMCID: PMC7126234 DOI: 10.1016/j.tpb.2013.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2013] [Revised: 09/19/2013] [Accepted: 09/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Parasites are either dedicated to a narrow host range, or capable of exploiting a wide host range. Understanding how host ranges are determined is very important for public health, as well as wildlife, plant, livestock and agricultural diseases. Our current understanding of host–parasite associations hinges on co-evolution, which assumes evolved host preferences (host specialization) of the parasite. Despite the explanatory power of this framework, we have only a vague understanding of why many parasites routinely cross the host species’ barrier. Here we introduce a simple model demonstrating how superinfection (in a heterogeneous community) can promote host–parasite association. Strikingly, the model illustrates that strong host–parasite association occurs in the absence of host specialization, while still permitting cross-species transmission. For decades, host specialization has been foundational in explaining the maintenance of distinct parasites/strains in host species. We argue that host specializations may be exaggerated, and can occur as a byproduct (not necessarily the cause) of host–parasite associations. Many parasites appear to exhibit host specificity. Many parasites are also efficient in cross-species transmissions. The above two phenomenon are largely incompatible without adaptive mutations. Superinfection facilitates apparent host specificity and cross-species transmission.
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Quiazon KMA, Santos MD, Yoshinaga T. Anisakis species (Nematoda: Anisakidae) of Dwarf Sperm Whale Kogia sima (Owen, 1866) stranded off the Pacific coast of southern Philippine archipelago. Vet Parasitol 2013; 197:221-30. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2013.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2013] [Revised: 05/21/2013] [Accepted: 05/23/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Bao M, Garci M, Antonio J, Pascual S. First report of Anisakis simplex (Nematoda, Anisakidae) in the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus). Food Control 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2013.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Haarder S, Kania PW, Buchmann K. Comparative infectivity of three larval nematode species in three different salmonids. Parasitol Res 2013; 112:2997-3004. [PMID: 23733234 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-013-3472-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2013] [Accepted: 05/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Host specificity of parasites may depend both on ecological and physiological factors. Basic descriptions of the susceptibility/resistance of fish to specific nematodes are needed in order to reveal mechanisms in the host-parasite relation. Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), brown trout (Salmo trutta), and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were orally infected with larval stages of three different anisakid nematodes-Hysterothylacium aduncum, Contracaecum osculatum, and Anisakis simplex-and parasite survival and location was subsequently recorded for up to 14 days post infection (dpi). H. aduncum was most prevalent and numerous in brown trout 2 dpi, but a large proportion of the worms were recovered dead. No tissue penetration was observed. Rainbow trout exhibited the highest susceptibility to C. osculatum larvae at 2, 7, and 14 dpi. Mean intensities and mean abundances were lower in brown trout and salmon at all time points. The pyloric cecum was penetrated in rainbow trout on two occasions. A. simplex larvae established more successfully in salmon compared to rainbow trout; brown trout exhibited the highest natural resistance. Mean intensity and mean abundance was highest in rainbow trout at 2 and 7 dpi, but not after 14 days. A range of tissues, including muscle and liver, were found penetrated by larvae, but the pyloric ceca were the preferred microhabitat for Anisakis in both rainbow trout and salmon. It can be concluded that closely related salmonids differ in susceptibility towards different anisakid larvae and these parasites select different microhabitats in the hosts. The physiological basis for this specificity is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Haarder
- Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
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Martínez R, Segade P, Martínez-Cedeira JA, Arias C, García-Estévez JM, Iglesias R. Occurrence of the ectoparasite Isocyamus deltobranchium (Amphipoda: Cyamidae) on cetaceans from Atlantic waters. J Parasitol 2009; 94:1239-42. [PMID: 18576834 DOI: 10.1645/ge-1518.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2007] [Accepted: 03/19/2008] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The cyamids collected from a True's beaked whale (Mesoplodon mirus), a common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), and a harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) stranded in Galicia (NW Spain) were identified as Isocyamus deltobranchium, extending the range of this species to the Atlantic Ocean. The three cetacean species examined are new hosts for this parasite. The microscopic examination of female specimens reveals that certain important taxonomic characters can be present or absent depending on the maturation stage, an aspect which should be considered in future studies describing cyamid species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Martínez
- Laboratorio de Parasitoloxia, Department de Bioloxia Funcional e Ciencias da Saúde, Facultade de Bioloxia, Campus Lagoas-Marcosende, Universidad de Vigo, Vigo, Spain
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Berón-Vera B, Crespo EA, Raga JA, Fernández M. Parasite communities of common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) from Patagonia: the relation with host distribution and diet and comparison with sympatric hosts. J Parasitol 2008; 93:1056-60. [PMID: 18163339 DOI: 10.1645/ge-1070r.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
We studied the helminths of 18 common dolphins, Delphinus delphis, from northern Patagonia. Parasites were found only in the gastrointestinal tract. Four species were in the stomach, the nematode Anisakis simplex, the acanthocephalan Corynosoma cetaceum, and the digeneans Braunina cordiformis and Pholeter gastrophilus, plus 1 digenean in the hepatopancreatic ducts, Oschmarinella rochebruni. Infection levels were low (0-155 parasites). Braunina cordiformis and C. cetaceum were the most prevalent species. Anisakis simplex was mainly concentrated in the forestomach, B. cordiformis in the main stomach, and C. cetaceum in the pyloric stomach. Component diversity was low and component evenness was intermediate. Infracommunity diversity was also low, and the mean evenness was higher than at the component community level. Low prevalence in common dolphins is consistent with parasite assemblages of other cetaceans off Patagonia. None of the parasites found is specific to this host species within the study area. We suggest that potential prey are probably important in parasite transmission in this and other dolphins from the Patagonian region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara Berón-Vera
- Laboratorio de Mamiferos Marinos, Centro Nacional Patagónico, CONICET, Chubut, Argentina.
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Aznar FJ, Agustí C, Littlewood DTJ, Raga JA, Olson PD. Insight into the role of cetaceans in the life cycle of the tetraphyllideans (Platyhelminthes: Cestoda). Int J Parasitol 2007; 37:243-55. [PMID: 17161403 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2006.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2006] [Revised: 10/13/2006] [Accepted: 10/17/2006] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Four types of tetraphyllidean larvae infect cetaceans worldwide: two plerocercoids differing in size, 'small' (SP) and 'large' (LP), and two merocercoids referred to as Phyllobothrium delphini and Monorygma grimaldii. The latter merocercoid larvae parasitize marine mammals exclusively and exhibit a specialised cystic structure. Adult stages are unknown for any of the larvae and thus the role of cetaceans in the life cycle of these species has been a long-standing problem. The SP and LP forms are thought to be earlier stages of P. delphini and M. grimaldii that are presumed to infect large pelagic sharks that feed on cetaceans. A molecular analysis of the D2 variable region of the large subunit ribosomal DNA gene based on several individuals of each larval type collected from three Mediterranean species of cetaceans showed consistent and unique molecular signatures for each type regardless of host species or site of infection. The degree of divergence suggested that LP, P. delphini and M. grimaldii larvae may represent separate species, whereas SP may be conspecific with M. grimaldii. In all host species, individuals of SP accumulated in the gut areas in which the lymphoid tissue was especially developed. We suggest therefore that these larvae use the lymphatic system to migrate to the abdominal peritoneum and mesenteries where they develop into forms recognizable as M. grimaldii. The plerocercoid stage of P. delphini remains unknown. In a partial phylogenetic tree of the Tetraphyllidea, all larvae formed a clade that included a representative of the genus Clistobothrium, some species of which parasitize sharks such as the great white which is known to feed on cetaceans. A bibliographic examination of tetraphyllidean infections in marine mammals indicated that these larvae are acquired mostly offshore. In summary, the evidence suggests that cetaceans play a significant role in the life cycle of these larvae. In addition, it seems clear that cetaceans act as natural intermediate hosts for P. delphini and M. grimaldii, as within these hosts they undergo development from the plerocercoid stage to the merocercoid stage. Because tetraphyllidean species use fish, cephalopods and other marine invertebrates as intermediate hosts, the inclusion of cetaceans in the life cycle would have facilitated their transmission to apex predators such as the large, lamnid sharks. The biological significance of infections of LP in cetaceans is unclear, but infections do not seem to be accidental as such larvae show high prevalence and abundance as well as a high degree of site specificity, particularly in the anal crypts and bile ducts.
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Affiliation(s)
- F J Aznar
- Marine Zoology Unit, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, P.O. Box 22085, 46071 Valencia, Spain
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Mattiucci S, Nascetti G, Dailey M, Webb SC, Barros NB, Cianchi R, Bullini L. Evidence for a new species of Anisakis Dujardin, 1845: morphological description and genetic relationships between congeners (Nematoda: Anisakidae). Syst Parasitol 2005; 61:157-71. [PMID: 16025205 DOI: 10.1007/s11230-005-3158-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2004] [Accepted: 12/06/2004] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
In the present study, a new biological species of Anisakis Dujardin, 1845, was detected in Kogia breviceps and K. sima from West Atlantic waters (coast of Florida) on the basis of 19 (nuclear) structural genes studied by multilocus allozyme electrophoresis. Fixed allele differences at 11 enzyme loci were found between specimens of both adults and larvae of the new species and the other Anisakis spp. tested. Reproductive isolation from A. brevispiculata Dollfus, 1968 was demonstrated by the lack of hybrid or recombinant genotypes in mixed infections in K. breviceps. Genetic distance of the new species from its closest relative, A. brevispiculata, was D(Nei)=0.79. The new species is morphologically different from the other species which have been genetically characterised and from the other Anisakis retained by Davey (1971) as valid or as species inquirendae: the name of Anisakis paggiae n. sp. is proposed for the new taxon. Anisakis Type II larvae (sensu Berland, 1961) from the European hake Merluccius merluccius in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean (Galician coast) and from the scabbard fish Aphanopus carbo in Central Atlantic waters (off Madeira), were identified as A. paggiae n. sp. Its genetic relationships with respect to the seven species previously characterised (A. simplex (Rudolphi, 1809) sensu stricto), A. pegreffii Campana-Rouget & Biocca, 1955, A. simplex, (A. typica (Diesing, 1860), A. ziphidarum Paggi et al., 1998, A. physeteris Baylis, 1923 and A. brevispiculata) were also inferred. Overall, a low genetic identity was detected at allozyme level between the eight Anisakis species. Interspecific genetic identity ranged from I(Nei)=0.68, between the sibling species of the A. simplex complex, to I(Nei)=0.00 (no alleles shared at the considered loci) when A. physeteris, A. brevispiculata and the new species were compared with the other species of the genus. Concordant topologies were obtained using both UPGMA and NJ tree analyses for the considered species. In both analyses, A. paggiae n. sp. clustered with A. brevispiculata. They also indicated two main clades, the first including A. physeteris, A. brevispiculata and A. paggiae n. sp., the second containing all of the remaining species (i.e. A. simplex (s.s.), A. pegreffii, A. simplex, A. typica and A. ziphidarum). A deep separation between these two main Anisakis clades, also supported by high bootstrap values at the major nodes, was apparent. This is also supported by differences in adult and larval morphology, as well as with respect to their main definitive hosts. A morphological key for distinguishing adult A. paggiae n. sp., A. physeteris and A. brevispiculata is presented. Allozyme markers for the identification of any life-history stage of the Anisakis spp. so far studied, as well as ecological data on their definitive host preferences and geographical distribution, are updated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simonetta Mattiucci
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Section of Parasitology, University of Rome La Sapienza, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
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Zylber MI, Failla G, Le Bas A. Stenurus globicephalae Baylis et Daubney, 1925 (Nematoda: Pseudaliidae) from a false killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens (Cetacea: Delphinidae), stranded on the coast of Uruguay. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2002; 97:221-5. [PMID: 12016448 DOI: 10.1590/s0074-02762002000200015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Stenurus globicephalae Baylis et Daubney, 1925 (Nematoda: Pseudaliidae) was found in the cranial air sinuses of a false killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens (Owen), stranded on the coast of Uruguay in 1999. Although this species has been reported once in P. crassidens from the North Atlantic, this is the first record for South America. A total of 920 specimens were obtained, of which 663 were females (body length: 4.34 +/- 0.45 cm) and 257 were males (2.99 +/- 0.18 cm). Morphometric details are presented for S. globicephalae in this host, which do not show significant differences from those parasitizing Globicephala melas (Traill), but are distinct from those parasitizing Peponocephala electra (Gray). The host's skull revealed loss of osseous mass with the disappearance of the left zygomatic arch, and the left jaw had three osseous fenestrations in the region related to the organ of acoustic reception. These lesions support the hypothesis that this infection, known as stenurosis, was related to the stranding.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Inés Zylber
- Laboratorio de Helmintología, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Abollo E, Pascual S. Element concentration variability in the whaleworm Anisakis simplex s.l. Parasitol Int 2001; 50:115-9. [PMID: 11438433 DOI: 10.1016/s1383-5769(01)00069-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Concentrations of the elements C, N, Fe, Na, K, Ca and Mg were analysed by chromatography and atomic absorption spectrometry in the whaleworm Anisakis simplex sensu lato. Nearly all mean inorganic element concentrations measured were higher in adult worms than in larval forms. Similarly, adults contained significantly higher nitrogen (i.e. lower C/N ratio values) than either eggs or larvae. Evidence for the significance of the parasitic life cycle stage and the systematic position of their hosts on the element concentration variability is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Abollo
- Area de Parasitología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Vigo, 36200, Vigo, Spain
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Wunschmann A, Siebert U, Frese K, Weiss R, Lockyer C, Heide-Jørgensen MP, Müller G, Baumgärtner W. Evidence of infectious diseases in harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) hunted in the waters of Greenland and by-caught in the German North Sea and Baltic Sea. Vet Rec 2001; 148:715-20. [PMID: 11430682 DOI: 10.1136/vr.148.23.715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The pathological, microbiological and serological findings in harbour porpoises hunted in Greenlandic waters were compared with the findings in animals accidentally caught in fishing gear in the German North Sea and Baltic Sea. The body condition of the Greenlandic animals was good, whereas nine of 23 German harbour porpoises were moderately to markedly emaciated. Both groups were infested with parasites. In the Greenlandic animals parasitism of the aural peribullar cavity with Stenurus minor, of the liver and pancreas with Orthosplanchnus mironovi, of the lungs with Halocercus species and of the subcutaneous and mammary tissue with Crassicauda species was generally associated with a mild inflammatory response. No diseases associated with bacteria were identified in any of the Greenlandic harbour porpoises. In the porpoises from the German North Sea and Baltic Sea, parasites were present in the aural peribullar cavity (S minor), liver (Campula oblonga), first and second gastric compartment (Anisakis simplex) and in the lungs (Pseudalius inflexus and Torynurus convolutus). Moderate to marked pulmonary parasitism and suppurative pneumonia, not observed in the Greenlandic porpoises, were present in 11 and 10, respectively, of the 23 German porpoises. The suppurative pneumonia was attributed to bacterial infection with beta-haemolytic streptococci and Escherichia coil var haemolytica. Four Greenlandic and 10 German porpoises had positive porpoise morbillivirus-specific antibody titres suggesting that the virus was circulating in both populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Wunschmann
- Institut für Veterinär-Pathologie, Justus Liebig Universität, Giessen, Germany
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Siebert U, Wünschmann A, Weiss R, Frank H, Benke H, Frese K. Post-mortem findings in harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) from the German North and Baltic Seas. J Comp Pathol 2001; 124:102-14. [PMID: 11222006 DOI: 10.1053/jcpa.2000.0436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Between 1991 and 1996, necropsies were performed on 445 harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), in various states of preservation, stranded on German coasts or accidentally caught by German fishermen. The animals originated from the North and Baltic Seas, and 133 were considered suitable for histopathological, immunohistochemical and microbiological examination. Most of the lesions in these 133 porpoises were caused by parasites, in particular in the respiratory tract, two-thirds of the animals exhibiting pneumonia associated with the parasites. Pneumonia was considered to be the cause of death in 46% of the stranded subadult and adult animals. The findings gave no evidence of any epidemic due to bacterial or viral infection. Bacteriological examination suggested that pneumonia was mainly caused by secondary bacterial infection and not by parasitic infestation alone. Beta-haemolytic streptococci were considered to be the main infectious agents. Morbillivirus antigen was not detected immunohistochemically.
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Affiliation(s)
- U Siebert
- Institut für Veterinär-Pathologie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Frankfurter Strasse 96, 35392 Giessen, Germany
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Sánchez-Velasco P, Mendizábal L, Antón EM, Ocejo-Vinyals G, Jerez J, Leyva-Cobián F. Association of hypersensitivity to the nematode Anisakis simplex with HLA class II DRB1*1502-DQB1*0601 haplotype. Hum Immunol 2000; 61:314-9. [PMID: 10689122 DOI: 10.1016/s0198-8859(99)00167-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Anisakiasis as well as allergic and anaphylactoid reactions to Anisakis simplex antigens are recently identified clinical entities. They are relatively frequent in countries with habitual raw food consumption, often in the form of large amounts of fish and sea food products. In this communication the relationship between HLA class II alleles and the IgE-specific immune response to A. simplex allergen was studied in a defined population in Northern Spain. Individuals with immediate-type Anisakis hypersensitivity and healthy controls were examined for HLA-DRB1, DQB1 and DQA1 alleles by sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe typing. Analysis of the HLA data among patients revealed increased phenotypic frequencies for DRB1*1502 and DRB1*0404 compared to healthy controls (p < 1 x 10(-7) and < 0.01, respectively). Analysis of haplotypic frequencies showed that the DRB1*1502-DQB1*0601 haplotype is significantly higher in patients with Anisakis hypersensitivity in comparison with the control population from the same region (p < 4 x 10(-8)). The data suggest that this haplotype can be considered to be a susceptibility factor for hypersensitivity to A. simplex antigens.
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