Occurrence and Spatial Distribution of Dibothriocephalus Latus (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidea) in Lake Iseo (Northern Italy): An Update

Vasco Menconi, Paolo Pastorino, Ivana Momo, Davide Mugetti, Maria Cristina Bona, Sara Levetti, Mattia Tomasoni, Elisabetta Pizzul, Giuseppe Ru, Alessandro Dondo and Marino Prearo
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Vasco Menconi: The Veterinary Medical Research Institute for Piemonte, Liguria and Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy
Paolo Pastorino: The Veterinary Medical Research Institute for Piemonte, Liguria and Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy
Ivana Momo: Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, 10095 Grugliasco, TO, Italy
Davide Mugetti: The Veterinary Medical Research Institute for Piemonte, Liguria and Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy
Maria Cristina Bona: The Veterinary Medical Research Institute for Piemonte, Liguria and Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy
Sara Levetti: The Veterinary Medical Research Institute for Piemonte, Liguria and Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy
Mattia Tomasoni: The Veterinary Medical Research Institute for Piemonte, Liguria and Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy
Elisabetta Pizzul: Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy
Giuseppe Ru: The Veterinary Medical Research Institute for Piemonte, Liguria and Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy
Alessandro Dondo: The Veterinary Medical Research Institute for Piemonte, Liguria and Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy
Marino Prearo: The Veterinary Medical Research Institute for Piemonte, Liguria and Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 14, 1-9

Abstract: Dibothriocephalus latus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidea; syn. Diphyllobothrium latum ), is a fish-borne zoonotic parasite responsible for diphyllobothriasis in humans. Although D. latus has long been studied, many aspects of its epidemiology and distribution remain unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence, mean intensity of infestation, and mean abundance of plerocercoid larvae of D. latus in European perch ( Perca fluviatilis ) and its spatial distribution in three commercial fishing areas in Lake Iseo (Northern Italy). A total of 598 specimens of P. fluviatilis were caught in 2019. The total prevalence of D. latus was 6.5%. However, there were significant differences between areas (10.2% North; 7.3% Center; 1.5% South) (Chi-square test, p = 0.0018). The mean intensity of infestation ranged from 1 larva in southern area to 1.2 larvae in both the central and northern (Pisogne) areas. In addition, the mean abundance ranged from 0.02 in the southern area to 0.26 in the northern area (Pisogne). The total number of larvae (anterior dorsal—AD = 21; anterior ventral—AV = 1; posterior dorsal—PD = 15; posterior ventral—PV = 5) differed significantly between the four anatomical quadrants (Kruskal–Wallis test; p = 0.0001). The prevalence of D. latus plerocercoid larvae in European perch from Lake Iseo has long been investigated, but without an appropriate sampling design. With the present study, a broader analysis in spatial distribution has been added to the existing literature, revealing new information about D. latus distribution and occurrence in Lake Iseo, with new data that will be useful for health authorities and future studies.

Keywords: food-borne zoonoses; epidemiological survey; diphyllobothriasis; Italy; Perca fluviatilis; subalpine lake (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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