Líffræðifélag Íslands - biologia.is
Líffræðiráðstefnan 2025
Erindi/veggspjald / Talk/poster V67
Höfundar / Authors: Hrefna Kristín Rúnarsdóttir
Starfsvettvangur / Affiliations: Háskóli Íslands
Kynnir / Presenter: Hrefna Kristín Rúnarsdóttir
Larval anisakid nematodes are parasites which reside in fish. When fish is poorly prepared or cooked, these worms can spread into humans, causing the zoonotic illness anisakiasis. Anisakiasis occurs when live larval nematodes are ingested and attach themselves to the lining of the esophagus, stomach, or intestine. Previous studies have found a significant amount of anisakid worms in fish in the North-east Atlantic. These fish include but are not limited to herring, Atlantic cod, European hake, and blue whiting. Little is known about anisakids in fish around Iceland and no study has specifically analyzed tusk (Brosme brosme). With a survey of larval anisakid nematodes in tusk around Iceland, the main objective is to better understand the risks associated with consumption of tusk. Twenty tusk were collected in total from fishermen in Dalvík (Northern Iceland) and Sandgerði (Southern Iceland). All fish were shipped to a laboratory in the University of Iceland. There, they were dissected within three days of collection and parasites from each organ counted, and categorized morphologically. The flesh was prominently the most infected, with the mean anisakid count being 24.30 ± 29.85 (SD), with a range of 3 to 106. A majority of the worms resided in the belly flap (anterior ventral). This raises questions about whether tusk is a potential vector of zoonotic parasites. In addition, this finding underlines the importance of preparing fish properly before consumption.