Circular 1393
SummaryAnisakiosis and pseudoterranovosis are parasitic diseases caused by infection with larval nematodes or roundworms of the genera Anisakis and Pseudoterranova. These infections are zoonoses, meaning they are transmissible between animals and humans and vice versa. The life cycles of Anisakis spp., commonly called whaleworm, and Pseudoterranova spp., commonly called sealworm, are complex and involve three marine hosts (invertebrates, fish, and marine mammals). Whales, dolphins, or porpoises are the definitive hosts in which Anisakis spp. become sexually mature, and seals, sea lions, or walrus are the definitive hosts of Pseudoterranova spp. These zoonotic parasites have medical and economic importance and can result in considerable costs to the fishing industry. Humans are accidentally infected by consuming raw, poorly cooked, cold smoked, lightly salted, or marinated marine fish or squid, the intermediate hosts infected with larval stages. Human infections are becoming more common with the popularity of eating raw fish as well as improved medical diagnostics. This report, seventh in the series of U.S. Geological Survey Circulars on zoonotic diseases, will help us to better understand the routes of anisakiosis and pseudoterranovosis infections and how best to adequately monitor these zoonotic diseases. |
First posted November 5, 2014 For additional information, contact: Part or all of this report is presented in Portable Document Format (PDF). For best results viewing and printing PDF documents, it is recommended that you download the documents to your computer and open them with Adobe Reader. PDF documents opened from your browser may not display or print as intended. Download the latest version of Adobe Reader, free of charge. More information about viewing, downloading, and printing report files can be found here. |
Measures, L.N., 2014, Anisakiosis and pseudoterranovosis: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1393, 34 p., 2 appendixes, https://dx.doi.org/10.3133/cir1393.
ISSN 1067–084X (print)
ISSN 2330–5703 (online)
Foreword
Overview
Background
Causative Agent
Geographic Distribution
Patterns and Trends
Species Susceptibility
Obtaining a Diagnosis
Disease Ecology
Points to Ponder
Disease Prevention and Control
References Cited
Glossary
Appendixes