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Pathogens
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Parasites Harnessing the Aquaculture: More We Know, More Questions We...
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Parasites Harnessing the Aquaculture: More We Know, More Questions We Rise

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Parasitic Pathogens".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 October 2022) | Viewed by 23085

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jerko Hrabar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory for Aquaculture, Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Split, Croatia
Interests: anisakids; fish parasites; host-parasite interactions; probiotics in aquaculture; histology; light and electron microscopy
Dr. Ivona Mladineo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
2. Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Laboratory for Aquaculture, Split, Croatia
Interests: anisakids; food-borne parasites; fish parasites; aquaculture; host-parasite interactions; probiotics in aquaculture; parasite antimicrobial peptides (AMPs)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fish aquaculture, an alternative to fisheries as a source of high-quality fish products, is a strong generator of economic activities in many areas, valued at more than 230 billion USD and generating some 26 million jobs worldwide. Nevertheless, in an era marked by climate changes and international traffic of both live and processed goods, aquaculture faces countless challenges to meet the market demand for highly nutritious, consumer-safe and healthy fish products. One of such challenges are parasitic diseases caused by a plethora of different organisms. Unlike some of bacterial or viral diseases for which vaccines are available, parasitic diseases are more challenging to control due to lack of preventive and limited number of curative measures. Consequently, outbreaks caused by parasitic organisms can have a detrimental effect on aquaculture fish health leading to high economic losses in the sector. From the point of environmental sustainability, the transfer of parasites between wild and aquaculture fish, and/or vice versa, is still unresolved for many systems, although molecular tools nowadays offer vast possibilities to decipher these relationships. Therefore, understanding interactions between aquaculture fish and their parasites, the existing balance and subtle features by which parasites exhibit a negative effect and tip over towards a clinical entity is of utmost importance for the development of new treatment strategies in order to mitigate losses caused by disease outbreaks and reduce environmental impact from fish rearing facilities.

In line with this, the present Special Issue welcomes original scientific and review articles on key and emerging aquaculture fish parasites and their impact on fish hosts, covering host immune response (including gene/protein expression), parasite immune-evasion, virulence, transmission (including wild-farmed host interactions), pathology (histology, immunohisto- and cytochemistry), pathogenesis (including experimental trials), diagnosis (including development of new molecular markers and techniques), and novel treatment strategies (vaccines, synthetic and alternative treatments, nutraceuticals…). Articles focusing on omics studies will be appreciated.

Dr. Jerko Hrabar
Dr. Ivona Mladineo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pathogens is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • aquaculture
  • fish parasites
  • emerging parasites
  • host-parasite interactions
  • immune response
  • immune-evasion pathology
  • pathogenesis
  • parasite transfer
  • diagnosis
  • novel treatments

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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14 pages, 2734 KiB  
Article
Physicochemical Water Quality Influence on the Parasite Biodiversity in Juvenile Tilapia (Oreochromis spp.) Farmed at Valle Del Mezquital in the Central-Eastern Socioeconomic Region of Mexico
by Víctor-Johan Acosta-Pérez, Vicente Vega-Sánchez, Tomás-Eduardo Fernández-Martínez, Andrea-Paloma Zepeda-Velázquez, Nydia-Edith Reyes-Rodríguez, Jesús-Benjamín Ponce-Noguez, Armando Peláez-Acero, Jorge-Luis de-la-Rosa-Arana and Fabián-Ricardo Gómez-De-Anda
Pathogens 2022, 11(10), 1076; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11101076 - 21 Sep 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4761
Abstract
Aquaculture parasite biodiversity dependents on multiple environmental characteristics, including water quality. The analysis of this relationship aims to support improvements in the production management of tilapia. For this purpose, a total of 100 juvenile fishes (Oreochromis spp.) and 30 water samples were [...] Read more.
Aquaculture parasite biodiversity dependents on multiple environmental characteristics, including water quality. The analysis of this relationship aims to support improvements in the production management of tilapia. For this purpose, a total of 100 juvenile fishes (Oreochromis spp.) and 30 water samples were collected at Valle del Mezquital in the Central-Eastern socioeconomical region of Mexico. A study of parasite biodiversity was carried out and water quality parameters were determined. Biodiversity in the habitat was measured using the Simpson diversity index, which considers the number of species present and the abundance of each one; we also calculate the Berger-Parker index to estimate the proportional importance of the most abundant species. In general, it was found that 86% of the examined specimens were parasitized. Parasite biodiversity was 11 genera (Simpson index = 0.55). Trichodina spp. (Ciliophora) was the dominant genus (Berger-Parker index = 0.51). The protozoa Apiosoma spp. was associated with the water hardness (Berger-Parker index = 0.57). Furthermore, the presence of monogeneans showed a positive correlation with the levels of nitrites and ammonium in the water (Berger-Parker index = 0.06–0.55). This characterization may represent a useful tool in the comprehensive management of parasites that affect the farmed tilapia. However, new data is necessary to expand the knowledge about the environment-host-parasite relationship. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parasites Harnessing the Aquaculture: More We Know, More Questions We Rise)
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12 pages, 3508 KiB  
Article
Occurrence of Neobenedenia girellae (Monogenea: Capsalidae) in Gilthead Seabream Sparus aurata (Actinopterygii: Sparidae) Cultured in Portugal
by Perla Tedesco, Monica Caffara, Nuno Miguel Ribeiro Moreira, César Gomes, Andrea Gustinelli and Maria Letizia Fioravanti
Pathogens 2021, 10(10), 1269; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10101269 - 1 Oct 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3977
Abstract
Monogenean capsalids of the genus Neobenedenia are widespread parasites of wild and farmed marine fish, and represent a potential threat to mariculture due to their pathogenicity and ability to cause mortality in fish maintained in controlled conditions. The identification of Neobenedenia species and, [...] Read more.
Monogenean capsalids of the genus Neobenedenia are widespread parasites of wild and farmed marine fish, and represent a potential threat to mariculture due to their pathogenicity and ability to cause mortality in fish maintained in controlled conditions. The identification of Neobenedenia species and, consequently, the definition of their host specificity is often problematic due to their highly conserved morphology; therefore, in order to establish their specific identity, microscopic observation should be complemented with molecular analysis. The present work aims at characterizing Neobenedenia specimens infecting the skin of cage reared gilthead seabream Sparus aurata from Portugal. Parasite samples obtained from caged fish were processed for morphological analysis, through observation in light and scanning electron microscopy, and for molecular analysis, through amplification and sequencing of 28S rDNA and cytB, aimed at identifying them to the species level. Our results showed that the collected parasites belonged to the species Neobenedenia girellae; the susceptibility of S. aurata towards this pathogenic capsalid monogenean highlighted in the present work represents an important risk in the farming of this valuable fish species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parasites Harnessing the Aquaculture: More We Know, More Questions We Rise)
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13 pages, 1559 KiB  
Article
In Vitro Testing of Alternative Synthetic and Natural Antiparasitic Compounds against the Monogenean Sparicotyle chrysophrii
by Ivona Mladineo, Željka Trumbić, Adrián Ormad-García, Oswaldo Palenzuela, Ariadna Sitjà-Bobadilla, Simona Manuguerra, Cristobal Espinosa Ruiz and Concetta Maria Messina
Pathogens 2021, 10(8), 980; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10080980 - 3 Aug 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3731
Abstract
Gill monogenean Sparicotyle chrysophrii is considered the most detrimental fish parasite to the Mediterranean aquaculture. Treatment of sparicotylosis relies on frequent gill inspections correlated with the seasonal increase in seawater temperature, application of functional feeds, and treatments with formalin baths where permitted. While [...] Read more.
Gill monogenean Sparicotyle chrysophrii is considered the most detrimental fish parasite to the Mediterranean aquaculture. Treatment of sparicotylosis relies on frequent gill inspections correlated with the seasonal increase in seawater temperature, application of functional feeds, and treatments with formalin baths where permitted. While the latter is bound to be banned in Europe, other synthetic anthelminthics, such as praziquantel and ivermectin, are prone to induce resistance in the parasites. Therefore, we investigated, in vitro, 14 synthetic and natural compounds against adult S. chrysophrii, developing dose–response modelsm and estimated toxicity levels at 20%, 50%, and 80% parasite mortality. Bactericidal activity of target compounds was also tested in two important aquaculture bacteria; Vibrio harveyi and V. anguillarum, while their potential host toxicity was evaluated in gilthead seabream SAF-1 cell line. Synthetic compound bithionate sodium exerted the most potent toxicity against the monogenean, no host cytotoxicity, and a medium and high potency against two bacterial pathogens. In comparison, target natural compounds were approximately 20 (cedrol) or up to 154 times (camphor) less toxic for the monogenean. Rather than completely dismissing natural compounds, we suggest that their application in combination with synthetic drugs, especially if administered in the feed, might be useful in sparicotylosis treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parasites Harnessing the Aquaculture: More We Know, More Questions We Rise)
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21 pages, 5305 KiB  
Article
Cranial Mandibular Fibrosis Syndrome in Adult Farmed Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss
by Irene Cano, John Worswick, Brian Mulhearn, Matt Green, Stephen W. Feist and Morag Clinton
Pathogens 2021, 10(5), 542; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10050542 - 30 Apr 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3311
Abstract
An unusual condition affecting market size rainbow trout was investigated. This condition was prevalent for several years at low levels but affected a large proportion of stock during 2018 and 2019. Chronic fibrosis affecting cranial tissues and the jaw was observed in samples [...] Read more.
An unusual condition affecting market size rainbow trout was investigated. This condition was prevalent for several years at low levels but affected a large proportion of stock during 2018 and 2019. Chronic fibrosis affecting cranial tissues and the jaw was observed in samples collected in 2018. A larger sampling was then conducted in 2019 to investigate the presence of an infectious agent(s). An extensive inflammatory response in the mandibular region was the main finding, however infectious agents in the lesions were not identified through classical virology and bacteriology analysis. Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae infection, calcinosis, and a Gram-positive bacterial infection of a single fish cardiac tissue was observed, however, a correlation of these pathologies and the cranial mandibular fibrosis (CMF) syndrome was not established. The gene expression of a panel of 16 immune-related genes was studied. Among these, tgf-b, sIgM, il11, hspa, and the antimicrobial peptides lys and cath1 were up-regulated in jaw sections of CMF-affected fish, showing a strong positive correlation with the severity of the lesions. Idiopathic chronic fibrosis with the activation of the Tfg-B pathway and local hyper-immunoglobulaemia was therefore diagnosed. Initiating factors and causative agent(s) (biotic or abiotic) of CMF remain, at present, unclear. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parasites Harnessing the Aquaculture: More We Know, More Questions We Rise)
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12 pages, 762 KiB  
Article
Community Parameters and Genome-Wide RAD-Seq Loci of Ceratothoa oestroides Imply Its Transfer between Farmed European Sea Bass and Wild Farm-Aggregating Fish
by Ivona Mladineo, Jerko Hrabar, Željka Trumbić, Tereza Manousaki, Alexandros Tsakogiannis, John B. Taggart and Costas S. Tsigenopoulos
Pathogens 2021, 10(2), 100; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10020100 - 21 Jan 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2617
Abstract
Wild fish assemblages that aggregate within commercial marine aquaculture sites for feeding and shelter have been considered as a primary source of pathogenic parasites vectored to farmed fish maintained in net pens at an elevated density. In order to evaluate whether Ceratothoa oestroides [...] Read more.
Wild fish assemblages that aggregate within commercial marine aquaculture sites for feeding and shelter have been considered as a primary source of pathogenic parasites vectored to farmed fish maintained in net pens at an elevated density. In order to evaluate whether Ceratothoa oestroides (Isopoda, Cymothoidae), a generalist and pestilent isopod that is frequently found in Adriatic and Greek stocks of farmed European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), transfers between wild and farmed fish, a RAD-Seq (restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing)-mediated genetic screening approach was employed. The double-digest RAD-Seq of 310 C. oestroides specimens collected from farmed European sea bass (138) and different wild farm-aggregating fish (172) identified 313 robust SNPs that evidenced a close genetic relatedness between the “wild” and “farmed” genotypes. ddRAD-Seq proved to be an effective method for detecting the discrete genetic structuring of C. oestroides and genotype intermixing between two populations. The parasite prevalence in the farmed sea bass was 1.02%, with a mean intensity of 2.0 and mean abundance of 0.02, while in the wild fish, the prevalence was 8.1%; the mean intensity, 1.81; and the mean abundance, 0.15. Such differences are likely a consequence of human interventions during the farmed fish’s rearing cycle that, nevertheless, did not affect the transfer of C. oestroides. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parasites Harnessing the Aquaculture: More We Know, More Questions We Rise)
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8 pages, 1286 KiB  
Brief Report
In Vitro Assessment of Berberine against Ichthyophthirius multifiliis in Goldfish
by Ke Huang, Guangran Hu, Runqiu Wang, Qingwen Zeng, Wenxiang Li, Hong Zou, Shangong Wu, Guitang Wang and Ming Li
Pathogens 2022, 11(10), 1207; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11101207 - 20 Oct 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3104
Abstract
Ichthyophthirius multifiliis is a pathogenic ciliate parasite, which infects almost all freshwater teleost fish and leads to significant economic losses. The present study aimed to evaluate the acute toxicity of berberine to the free-living stages of I. multifiliis, that is, theronts and [...] Read more.
Ichthyophthirius multifiliis is a pathogenic ciliate parasite, which infects almost all freshwater teleost fish and leads to significant economic losses. The present study aimed to evaluate the acute toxicity of berberine to the free-living stages of I. multifiliis, that is, theronts and tomonts. Our results indicated that 99.30% of I. multifiliis theronts were killed by a concentration of 15 mg/L berberine during the 4 h exposure time, while berberine had no effect on protomonts. Nevertheless, berberine at a concentration of 5 mg/L could effectively reduce the release of theronts from tomonts treated for 4 h. Additionally, according to the transmission electron microscopy results, berberine at 15 mg/L could strongly change the shape of protomonts, destroy their organelles, and significantly decrease the number of ribosomes. The median lethal concentration (LC50) of berberine for goldfish at 96 h was 528.44 mg/L, which was almost 67 times the median effective concentration (EC50) of berberine for killing theronts (7.86 mg/L). The results demonstrated that berberine could be an effective and safe potential parasiticide for killing I. multifiliis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parasites Harnessing the Aquaculture: More We Know, More Questions We Rise)
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