ABSTRACT
This study evaluated the infrapopulations of parasites in red piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri) from theCuiabá river, Mato Grosso, Brazil. One hundred sixty-four specimens of red piranha were captured and examined in the period from October to December, 2007 in Barão de Melgaço, Mato Grosso, Brazil. The parasitism was reviewed by data of prevalence, localization, mean intensity of infection, and abundancefor each group of parasite found. In the examined fishes, nematodes (Eustrongylides spp., Contracaecum spp,. and Procamallanus spp.) and pentastomids were found. Among the examined fishes, 141 (86 percent) presented parasitism by at least one species of parasite; from those, 23 (14 percent) by nematodes identified as Eustrongylides spp., 106 (64.6 percent) by Contracaecum spp., 55 (33.5 percent) by Procamallanus spp., and 90 (54.9 percent) by pentastomids. About the localization of the parasites, from the 23 fishes positive to the infection by Eustrongylides spp., 19 (82.6 percent) presented larvae in the muscle, two (8.7 percent)in the celomatic cavity, and two (8.7 percent) in the air bladder. From the 106 fishes positive to the infection by larvae of Contracacecum spp., 105 (99 percent) presented the celomatic cavity as the locus of parasitism, and one (0.9 percent) presented the parasitism in the air bladder. All the fishes positives to the infection by Procamallanus spp., presented the intestine as parasitism site. From the 90 fishes parasited by pentastomids, 41 (45.6 percent) presented the parasitism in the muscle, 17 (18.9 percent) in the celomatic cavity, and 32 (35.6 percent) in the air bladder. The mean intensities of infection by larvae of Contracaecum spp. and Eustrongylides spp., Procamallanus spp., and pentastomids were 1.04; 3.93; 2.27; and 3.72 parasites per fish, respectively, and the abundance values were 0.14; 2.54; 0.76; and 2.04 parasites per fish, respectively.
Subject(s)
Animals , Parasitic Diseases/epidemiology , Ecosystem , Fishes/parasitology , Biodiversity , Aquatic Fauna/analysisABSTRACT
Human infection with fish parasites can result from the ingestion of incompletely cooked or raw fish, giving origin to parasitic diseases such as anisakiasis, caused by parasites of the Anisakidae family. The present study assessed the in vitro larvicidal effect of two monoterpene compounds, geraniol and citronellal, against Contracaecum sp (Nematoda: Anisakidae). Four hundred live larvae of Contracaecum sp obtained from "traíra" fish (Hoplias malabaricus, Bloch, 1974) were analyzed on 40 Petri dishes (10 larvae each) with the compounds to be tested. The final concentrations tested for each compound were 250, 125, 62.5, and 31.2 µg/mL and the evaluation was carried out at five different times (2, 4, 8, 24, and 48 h). The larvicidal action of geraniol and citronellal was statistically superior (P < 0.005) to the control (1 percent ethanol) at concentrations of 250 and 31.2 µg/mL (geraniol) and 250, 125, and 62.5 μg/mL (citronellal). However, no larvicidal activity was observed at concentrations of 125 and 62.5 µg/mL for geraniol and 31.2 µg/mL for citronellal. When the larvicidal action of geraniol was compared to that of citronellal, the former was found to be statistically superior (P < 0.05) to the latter at concentrations of 250 and 31.2 μg/mL. On the other hand, citronellal was statistically superior (P < 0.005) to geraniol at concentrations of 125 and 62.5 μg/mL. The larval mortality rate in terms of time (hours) was higher for geraniol with the passing of time at the 250 μg/mL concentration. At this concentration (in 48 h) the best larvicidal effect was observed with 90 percent lethality. The larvae were considered to be dead using no motility and loss of structural integrity as parameters. The data indicate that natural terpene compounds should be more explored for antihelminthic activity and can be useful for other studies about anisakiasis treatment.