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Review
. 2019 Jan 25:4:e00087.
doi: 10.1016/j.parepi.2019.e00087. eCollection 2019 Feb.

Parasite loss or parasite gain? Story of Contracaecum nematodes in antipodean waters

Shokoofeh Shamsi  1
Affiliations
Review

Parasite loss or parasite gain? Story of Contracaecum nematodes in antipodean waters

Shokoofeh Shamsi. Parasite Epidemiol Control. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Contracaecum spp. are parasitic nematodes belonging to the family Anisakidae. They are known to be able to have highly pathogenic impacts on both wildlife (fish, birds, marine mammals) and humans. Despite having the most numerous species of any genus of Anisakidae, and despite a wide range of publications on various aspects of their pathogenicity, biology and ecology, there are no recent comprehensive reviews of these important parasites, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere. In this article, the diversity of Contracaecum parasites in Australian waters is reviewed and possible anthropological impacts on their populations are discussed. The abundance and diversity of these parasites may have been under-reported due to the inadequacy of common methods used to find them. Populations of Contracaecum parasites may be increasing due to anthropogenic factors. To minimise the risk these parasites pose to public health, preventive education of stakeholders is essential. There are still many unknown aspects of the parasites, such as detailed information on life cycles and host switching, that will be interesting directions for future studies.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Morphology of Contracaecum nematodes: (a) anterior end of C. bancrofti showing oesophagus, ventricular appendix and intestinal caecum (scale-bar = 0.65 mm); (b) apical view of lips in C. bancrofti (scale-bar = 0.17 mm); (c) posterior end of male (C. pyripapillatum), ventral view showing cloacal papillae (scale-bar = 0.17 mm); (d & e) scanning electron micrographs of C. bancrofti, c, showing folded interlabium. Arrow indicating lateral interruption in annulation of collar (scale-bar = 0.1 mm); (e) ventral view of male tail with three double pairs of post-cloacal papillae (scale-bar = 0.1 mm). Abbreviations: NR: nerve ring, Oe: oesophagus, IC: intestinal caecum, V: ventriculus, VA: ventricular appendix, Int: intestine, IL: interlabium, SVL: subventral labium, DL, dorsal labium, P: papillum. Modified from: Shamsi et al., 2008.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Genera life cycle of Contracaecum spp.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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