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Volume 11
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Article

Prevalence and Intensity Effects of Anisakidae Nematode on Eastern Baltic Cod (Gadus morhua Linnaeus, 1758) Condition Factors and Energy Reserves

by
Maija Selezņova
1,
Ēriks Krūze
1,*,
Aivars Cīrulis
2,3,
Tatjana Baranova
1,
Maira Mateusa
1,4,
Ivo Šics
1,
Kārlis Heimrāts
1,
Jānis Gruduls
1,
Laura Briekmane
1 and
Gunita Deksne
5
1
Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment “BIOR”, LV-1076 Riga, Latvia
2
Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia
3
Department of Public Health and Healthcare, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Latvia, LV-1004 Riga, Latvia
4
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, LV-3001 Jelgava, Latvia
5
Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Latvia, LV-1004 Riga, Latvia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Fishes 2026, 11(1), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes11010020 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 8 December 2025 / Revised: 18 December 2025 / Accepted: 23 December 2025 / Published: 29 December 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology and Treatment of Parasitic Diseases in Aquatic Species)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Over the past few decades, the population of cod in the Eastern Baltic has faced numerous challenges due to environmental changes, overfishing, and predation, as well as the effects of infection by third-stage larvae of the Anisakidae parasite in the liver. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and infection level of Anisakidae nematodes in the Eastern Baltic cod stock over a five-year period and analyze the effect of infection on cod health condition. A total of 1946 samples of the Eastern Baltic cod (Gadus morhua) were collected and tested for the presence of Anisakidae nematode larvae. All nematodes found in livers were identified as Anisakidae with an overall prevalence of 30.9%, a mean infection density of 0.8 (median 0.4) nematodes per gram of liver tissue, and a range of 0.01–29.2 nematodes per gram. The prevalence of infection tended to increase with the age of the fish. In multivariate analysis, increasing infection intensity decreased the odds of cod having good Fulton’s and Clark’s condition scores and a hepatosomatic index (HSI) above the population average. While our study shows a clear Anisakidae effect on Fulton’s and Clark’s condition scores and the HSI, these indicators could also be influenced by other environmental, physiological, and pathological factors.
Keywords: Eastern Baltic cod; Anisakidae nematodes; Contracaecum; hepatosomatic index; condition factor Eastern Baltic cod; Anisakidae nematodes; Contracaecum; hepatosomatic index; condition factor

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MDPI and ACS Style

Selezņova, M.; Krūze, Ē.; Cīrulis, A.; Baranova, T.; Mateusa, M.; Šics, I.; Heimrāts, K.; Gruduls, J.; Briekmane, L.; Deksne, G. Prevalence and Intensity Effects of Anisakidae Nematode on Eastern Baltic Cod (Gadus morhua Linnaeus, 1758) Condition Factors and Energy Reserves. Fishes 2026, 11, 20. https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes11010020

AMA Style

Selezņova M, Krūze Ē, Cīrulis A, Baranova T, Mateusa M, Šics I, Heimrāts K, Gruduls J, Briekmane L, Deksne G. Prevalence and Intensity Effects of Anisakidae Nematode on Eastern Baltic Cod (Gadus morhua Linnaeus, 1758) Condition Factors and Energy Reserves. Fishes. 2026; 11(1):20. https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes11010020

Chicago/Turabian Style

Selezņova, Maija, Ēriks Krūze, Aivars Cīrulis, Tatjana Baranova, Maira Mateusa, Ivo Šics, Kārlis Heimrāts, Jānis Gruduls, Laura Briekmane, and Gunita Deksne. 2026. "Prevalence and Intensity Effects of Anisakidae Nematode on Eastern Baltic Cod (Gadus morhua Linnaeus, 1758) Condition Factors and Energy Reserves" Fishes 11, no. 1: 20. https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes11010020

APA Style

Selezņova, M., Krūze, Ē., Cīrulis, A., Baranova, T., Mateusa, M., Šics, I., Heimrāts, K., Gruduls, J., Briekmane, L., & Deksne, G. (2026). Prevalence and Intensity Effects of Anisakidae Nematode on Eastern Baltic Cod (Gadus morhua Linnaeus, 1758) Condition Factors and Energy Reserves. Fishes, 11(1), 20. https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes11010020

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