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Histopathology associated with infection by Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) inopinatus (Nematoda) in farmed Brycon cephalus (Characiformes) from Peru: a potential fish health problem

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Abstract

We describe the histopathological damage caused by parasite infection in farmed specimens of matrinxã Brycon cephalus, an economic important fish for aquaculture in the Amazon region. The fish were collected from an extensive fish farm, nearby the city of Nauta, Department of Loreto, Peru. Parasitic nematodes were found infecting the small intestine in 73 of 80 specimens (91.25%) of B. cephalus. According to morphological features of the examined specimens using light and electronic microscopy, the nematode was identified as Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) inopinatus. Histological sections of the small intestine showed important damages on the tissue, such as desquamation, abrasion, compression, hypertrophy, and villi loss as well as necrosis in muscle layer, submucosa, and mucosa. This is the first report of tissue damage occurrences in the concerned host from fish farm in Peruvian Amazon, and it confirms the high pathogenicity of the nematode species and further points out the need of improving the strategies of parasitic prevention and control in order to better prevent future disease outbreaks that compromise production.

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Acknowledgments

N.L.S. Rivadeneyra thanks Consejo Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Tecnológica, CONCYTEC (Peru), for the financial support (grant No. 230-2015 FONDECYT) provided for the Master studies. P.D. Mathews thanks São Paulo Research Foundation, FAPESP, for the Post-Doc fellowship (grant No. 2018/20482-3). O. Mertins thanks FAPESP for the research financial support (grants: 2015/23948-5 and 2016/13368-4). The authors thank G.M. James for reviewing the English idiom.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, 15102, Lima, Peru

    Norma L. S. Rivadeneyra & Ruben C. Cuadros

  2. Department of Biophysics, Paulista Scholl of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, 04023-062, Brazil

    Omar Mertins & Patrick D. Mathews

  3. Laboratory of Parasitology and Pathology of Fish, National Institute of Amazonian Research, Manaus, 69060-001, Brazil

    Jose C. O. Malta

  4. Department of Morphology, Federal University of Amazonas, Manaus, 60077-000, Brazil

    Lorena V. de Matos

  5. Department of Zoology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-090, Brazil

    Patrick D. Mathews

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  1. Norma L. S. Rivadeneyra
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Correspondence to Patrick D. Mathews.

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Rivadeneyra, N.L.S., Mertins, O., Cuadros, R.C. et al. Histopathology associated with infection by Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) inopinatus (Nematoda) in farmed Brycon cephalus (Characiformes) from Peru: a potential fish health problem. Aquacult Int 28, 449–461 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10499-019-00474-3

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