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Abstract from this study it could be concluded that Atherina fish (marine and fresh water Atherina sp.) harbored different types of larval helminth parasites including trematode metacercariae, anisakid larvae and plerocercoid larvae of Pseudophylidae family. Also, the overall prevalence of helminth larvae was higher in fresh water Atherina than that in marine species. Fresh water Atherina sp. exhibited a higher infection rate with encysted metacercariae than observed in marine water Atherina, while anisakid and plerocercoid larvae were only recovered from marine water Atherina fish. The recovered metacercariae were developed, after experimental infection of puppies, into adult worms of five trematode species belonging to 4 families of Heterophyidae, Haplorchidae, Prohemistomatidae and Echinostomatidae. All of these recovered trematodes have a zoonotic importance. Additionally, Atherina fish showed higher occurrence of metacercariae in summer season followed by spring and winter seasons suggesting the influence of environmental and climatic factors on the prevalence of these helminth larvae in Atherina fish. Collectively, this study reflected the role of Atherina sp. as a potential reservoir for dissemination of such zoonotic helminth larvae. It could also be concluded that different treatment processes applied to infected Atherina fish such as addition of vinegar, marination and freezing could , to some extent, inactivate anisakid larvae found in muscles and viscera of marine Atherina fish. The study recommended that freezing of Atherina fish at -20°C for 24 hours will kill all infective larvae. |