Emerging and Reemerging Zoonotic Parasitosis Caused by Fish-Borne Parasites: Health Risks Associated with Consumption of Fish

Consume raw and improperly cooked fishes may acquire fish-borne zoonotic parasitosis, which are currently (re-)emerging also due to population movement and climate changes. The aims of proposed collaborative project are focused on to the assessment of present occurrence, fish host associations, and current distribution and transmission routes of potential causative agents of fish-borne parasitosis in Taiwan. Trematodes (Clonorchis, Metagonimus, Haplorchis) responsible for human liver and intestinal infection, respectively, broad fish tapeworm (Diphyllobothrium) causing diphyllobothriosis and the anisakid nematodes (e.g. Anisakis simplex) causing human anisakiosis, will serve as model parasite groups. The novelty of the project lies in its interdisciplinary character, i.e., application of different methodological approaches, e.g., morphology, ultrastructure, phylogeography, phylogenetics and molecular karyology. The project will be based on international cooperation with a key role of Slovak parasitologists experienced in multidisciplinary studies on the helminth parasites including causative agents of zoonotic diseases and fish surveys to detect their infective stages.