Abstract
A seasonal investigation on the occurrence of fishborne zoonotic trematodes (FZT) in economically important mono-cultured hybrid catfish and giant gouramy was conducted in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. Fish from carp poly-culture and intensive small-scale integrated vegetable–aquaculture–animal husbandry farming (VAC) systems were also examined. No FZT metacercariae were found in any mono-cultured hybrid catfish. FZT metacercariae were common, however, in fish from the other three systems: All metacercariae belonged to the Heterophyidae family of trematodes, Haplorchis pumilio, H. taichui, Centrocestus formosanus and Stellantchasmus falcatus. The FZT prevalence was 1.7% in mono-cultured giant gouramy, 6.6% in carp from the poly-culture and 3.0% in fish raised in the VAC system. H. pumilio was the most common FZT species constituting more than 58.0% of all metacercariae recovered. The prevalence of infection was significantly higher in the flooding season compared to the non-flooding season for both giant gouramy and fish reared in the VAC system. FZT intensity was greatest in fish from carp poly-culture, particularly in the flooding season. The results indicate that certain fish production systems are at risk for FZT, and control approaches will benefit from understanding these risk factors.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arizono A, Chai JY, Nawa Y, Takahshi Y (2005) Food-borne helminthiasis in Asia. The Federation of Asia Parasitologists, Japan, p 72
Chai JY, Murrell KD, Lymbery AJ (2005) Fish borne parasitic zoonoses: status and issues. Int J Parasitol 35:1233–1254
Chun SK (1964) Studies on the experimental mode of infections of Clonorchis sinensis. III. Studies on the wormicidal effect of external mucous substance of some fresh water fish on Clonorchis sinensis. Korean J Parasitol 2:12–22
De NV, Murrell KD, Cong LD, Cam PD, Chau LV, Toan ND, Dalsgaard A (2003) The food-borne trematode zoonoses of Vietnam. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health 34:12–32
Ditrich O, Giboda M, Sterba J (1990) Species determination of eggs of opisthorchiid and heterophyid flukes using scanning electron microscopy. Angew Parasitol 31:3–9
Hinz E, Saowakontha S, Pipitgool V (1994) Opisthorchiasis control in Northeast Thailand: proposal for a new approach. Appl Parasitol 35:118–124
Kaewkes S (2003) Taxonomy and biology of liver flukes. Acta Trop 88:177–186
Keiser J, Utzinger J (2005) Emerging foodborne trematodiasis. Emerg Infect Dis 11:1507–1514
Komiya M (1965) Metacercariae in Japan and adjacent territories. Progress of medical parasitology in Japan, vol. II. Meguro Parasitological Museum, Tokyo, p 328
Li XX (1982) Observation on the ecology of metacercariae of Clonorchis sinensis. Acta Zool Sin 28:165–168
Long-Qi X, Sen-Hai Y, Ying-Dan C (2004) Clonorchis sinensis in China. In: Food-borne helminthiasis in Asia. Asian Parasitology 1: 1–26 (Federation of Asian Parasitologists Journal, Japan)
Lun ZR, Gasser RB, Lai DH, Li AX, Zhu XQ, Fang YY (2005) Clonorchiasis: a key foodborne zoonosis in China. Lancet Infect Dis 5:31–41
Naegel LCA (1990) A review of the public health problems associated with the integration of animal husbandry and aquaculture, with emphasis on Southeast Asia. Biol Wastes 31:69–83
Pearson JC, Ow-Yang CK (1982) New species of Haplorchis from Southeast Asia, together with keys to the Haplorchis-group of heterophyid trematodes of the region. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health 13:35–60
Rhee JK, Lee SB, Kim PG (1988) The wormicidal substances of freshwater fish on Clonorchis sinensis–VII. The effect of linoleic acid and ethyl linoleate on parasite viability. Korean J Parasitol 26:175–178
Rim HJ (1990) Clonorchiasis in Korea. Korea J Parasitol 28suppl:63–78
Schell SC (1970) How to know the trematodes. Brown, Dubuque, IA, pp 1–335
Scholtz T, Ditrich O, Giboda M (1991) Differential diagnosis of opisthorchid and heterophyid metacercariae (Trematoda) infecting flesh of cyprinid fish from Nam Ngum Dam Lake in LaoPDR. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health 22:171–173
Scholz T (1999) The introduction and dispersal of Centrocestus formosanus (Nishigori, 1924) (Digenea: Heterophyidae) in Mexico. Am Midl Nat 143:185–200
Sithithaworn P, Haswell-Elkins M (2003) Epidemiology of Opisthorchis viverrini. Acta Trop 88:187–194
Sithithaworn P, Pipitgool V, Srisawangwong T, Elkins DB, Haswell-Elkins MR (1997) Seasonal variation of Opisthorchis viverrini infection in cypriniod fish in northeast Thailand: implications for parasite control and food safety. Bull WHO 75:125–131
Sommerville C (1982) The life history of Haplorchis pumilio (Looss, 1896) from cultured tilapias. J Fish Dis 5:233
Sripa B, Sithithaworn P, Sirisinha S (2003) Opisthorchis viverrini . and opisthorchiasis–The 21st century review. Acta Trop 88:169–170
Sukontason K, Piangjai S, Muangyimpong Y, Sukontason K, Methanitikorn R, Chaithong U (1999) Prevalence of metacercaria in cyprinoid fish of Ban Pao district, Chang Mai province, northern Thailand. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health 24:365–370
Thu ND, Loan LTT, Dalsgaard A, Murrell KD (2007) Prevalence of zoonotic liver and intestinal metacercariae (Digenea) in cultured and wild fish of southern Vietnam. Korean J Parasitol 45:45–54
Velasquez CC (1973) Observations on some Heterophyidae (Trematoda:Digenea) encysted in Philippine fishes. J Parasitol 59:77–84
Waikagul J (1991) Intestinal fluke infections in Southeast Asia. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health 22:158–162
WHO (1995) Control of foodborne trematode infections. WHO Tech Rep Ser 849, pp 1–157. World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
WHO (2004) Report of Joint WHO/FAO Workshop on Food-borne trematode infections in Asia, Ha Noi, Vietnam, 26–28 November, 2002. World Health Organization, WPRO, pp 1–58
WHO (2006) Guidelines for the safe use of wastewater, excreta and greywater. Vol III. Wastewater and excreta use in aquaculture. WHO, Geneva
Yamaguti S (1971) Synopsis of digenetic trematodes of vertebrates, vol I and II. Keigaku, Tokyo, Japan
Yu SH, Xu LQ (2005) Intestinal trematode infections in China. In: Food-borne helminthiasis in Asia. Asian Parasitology 1: 61–78 (Federation of Asian Parasitologists Journal, Japan)
Acknowledgements
Appreciation is expressed to Dr. Jong-Yil Chai and Dr. Woon-Mok Sohn for their training on metacercariae identification. Sincere thanks are due to Ms. Ha Thi Ngoc Nga and Mr. Nguyen Thanh Nhan for their excellent assistance during field and laboratory work. True thanks are to the officers from Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Can Tho City and Department of Fisheries of Tien Giang province for the field work and cooperation during the study. The experiments comply with the current laws of Vietnam in which they were performed. Funding: The “Fishborne Zoonotic Parasites in Vietnam” (FIBOZOPA) project no. 91140/file no. 104. Dan.L.8.f and the Danish International Development Assistance (Danida) are gratefully acknowledged for their financial support of this study.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Thien, P.C., Dalsgaard, A., Thanh, B.N. et al. Prevalence of fishborne zoonotic parasites in important cultured fish species in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Parasitol Res 101, 1277–1284 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-007-0633-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-007-0633-5