Korean J Parasitol.  2019 Dec;57(6):699-704. 10.3347/kjp.2019.57.6.699.

Anisakid Larvae from Anchovies in the South Coast of Korea

• Chang T
• Jung BK
• Hong S
• Shin H
• Lee J
• Patarwut L
• Chai JY

• KMID: 2470004
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2019.57.6.699

Abstract

Anisakiasis (anisakidosis) refers to a foodborne zoonosis caused by ingesting raw or undercooked marine fish or cephalopods infected with anisakid larvae. The present study was performed to investigate the prevalence of anisakid larvae in anchovies (Engraulis japonica) purchased from 2 local markets in Gyeongsangnam-do, the Republic of Korea (=Korea), during 2018-2019. Anchovies were transported to our laboratory and examined by pepsin-HCl artificial digestion technique followed by microscopic observations and molecular analyses. The overall prevalence of anisakid larvae was 19.5% (39/200), from which a total of 51 larvae (av. 1.3 larvae/infected anchovy) were recovered. Sequencing of the larvae targeting the ITS region, including ITS1, 5.8S rRNA, and ITS2 genes confirmed the species of larvae as Anisakis pegreffii (54.9%; 28/51), Hysterothylacium sinense (23.5%; 12/51), and Hysterothylacium aduncum (21.5%; 11/51). The results suggested that anchovies could be a potential source of human anisakiasis in Korea.

Keyword

Anisakis pegreffii; Hysterothylacium sinense; Hysterothylacium aduncum; anisakid larva; anchovy; Korea

MeSH Terms

Anisakiasis
Anisakis
Cephalopoda
Digestion
Gyeongsangnam-do
Humans
Korea*
Larva*
Prevalence
Republic of Korea