Prevalence of heterophyiosis in Tilapia fish and humans in Northern Egypt

Abstract

A total of 100 Tilapia fish samples were collected from brackish water (n = 50) and fresh water (n = 50) resources, Northern Egypt, and examined for heterophyid encysted metacercariae (EMC) during the period from August 2007 to July 2008. The overall prevalence of infection was 32%; 22% for brackish water fish and 42% for fresh water fish. Significant differences in parasite occurrence among body regions were found, with muscles of the tail and caudal third being highly affected (93.4%) followed by middle third (84.3%) and anterior third (75%), while the head region had the lowest infection (21.9%). The prevalence was highest in summer season (46.4%) followed by spring (37.5%) and autumn (27.3%), and was lowest in winter (15.4%). The prevalence of infection decreased as fish size increased. Adult heterophyids, Heterophyes heterophyes, Heterophyes aequalis, Pygidiopsis genata, Haplorchis yokogawai, and Ascocotyle (Phagicola) ascolonga were recovered from EMC-feed puppies. Eggs of heterophyid type were detected in 10 (13.3%) out of 75 human stool specimens from local residents. An association exists between being a female (odd ratio [OR] 1.59 and 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.42-6.04), a fisherman (OR 1.39 [95% CI 0.26-7.48]), a housewife (OR 1.24 [95% CI 0.29-6.28]), 15-45 years old (OR 2.22 [95% CI 0.58-8.53]), or aged 5-14 years (OR 1.29 [95% CI 0.30-5.58]) and heterophyid infection. Measures should be implemented to reduce the risk of transmission of heterophyids to human and fish-eating animals.

Parasite surveys and environmental management for prevention of parasitic infection in cultivated Barbonymus gonionotus (Cyprinidae) in fishponds, in an opisthorchiasis endemic area of northeast Thailand

“…However, many other species of fish also entered the fishponds from the surrounding natural environment via drainage of water from irrigation canals. These species include C. striata, L. bleekeri, and T. trichopterus, which can serve as second intermediate host of the trematodes C. caninus and H. yokogawai (Lobna et al, 2010). In this study, we found only C. caninus infection in L. bleekeri.…”

“…Tilapia was reported to infect with Haplorchis sp. (Lobna et al, 2010), but there have been no surveys of the parasite in wild or cultivated tilapia in Thailand.…”

Review of Parasitic Zoonoses in Egypt

“…Heterophyid infections occur in brackish and fresh water fish in northern Egypt, where the parasites are indigenous [66]. The highest intensity of infection has been detected among fishermen (33.8%) [67] and local residents in northern Egypt (13.3%) [68]. The overall prevalence of heterophyid infection of fish has been reported to be 32%, that is, 22% for brackish water fish and 42% for fresh water fish [68].…”

“…The highest intensity of infection has been detected among fishermen (33.8%) [67] and local residents in northern Egypt (13.3%) [68]. The overall prevalence of heterophyid infection of fish has been reported to be 32%, that is, 22% for brackish water fish and 42% for fresh water fish [68]. In the Ismailia Governorate, the prevalence of heterophyid metacercaria in fresh water fish was found to be 95.4% [69].…”

“…Many heterophyids have been identified from fish. Adult heterophyids from Heterophyes heterophyes , H. aequalis , Pygidiopsis genata , Haplorchis yokogawai , Prohemostomum vivax , Phagicola ascolonga , and Stictodora tridactyla were recovered from encysted metacercaria-fed puppies [66, 68, 69]. The prevalence of H. heterophyes was 3% amongstray cats in Kafr Elsheikh province in the northern region of the Delta [25].…”