ABSTRACT

The family Anisakidae covers a closely related group of marine nematodes (round worms) that are organized into eight genera (i.e., Anisakis, Contracaecum, Ophidascaris, Phocascaris, Pseudanisakis, Pseudoterranova, Sulcascaris, and Terranova). These nematodes share a similar life cycle involving invertebrates (crustaceans and mollusks) as intermediate host, fish as paratenic/transport host, and marine mammals as final host, although their preferred final hosts are somewhat different (e.g., cetaceans [whales, dolphins] for Anisakis, pinnipeds [seals, sea lions, and walruses] for Pseudoterranova, and birds for Contracaecum) (Table 81.1). As an accidental, nonpermissive host, humans may acquire Anisakidae infection (anisakidosis) through ingestion of raw or inadequately cooked fish containing the third-stage (L3) larvae (typically of Anisakis simplex, Pseudoterranova decipiens, and Contracaecum osculatum), with symptoms ranging from abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, to allergic reactions [1]. As the second most common cause of human infection by a marine nematode (after A. simplex, see Chapter 77 in this volume), P. decipiens frequently occurs in fisheries from North America, Japan, Korea, and Chile as well as Iceland, but rarely from Greenland, Faroe Bank, and the Arctic sea of Norway. Given their relatively large size, P. decipiens larvae are easily visible on fish fillets, and represent a major cause of product condemnation in areas of high endemicity.