Occurrence of Parasites of the Genus spp. (Nematoda: Dioctophymatidae) in Fish Caught in Trasimeno Lake, Italy.

spp. is considered a freshwater fish zoonotic nematode. In the present study, the prevalence of spp. in six edible fish (European perch - , goldfish - , largemouth black bass - , tench- , carp - and sand smelt - of Trasimeno lake was surveyed. The investigations were conducted from October 2014 to September 2015 and 384 specimens per species for each season were caught in Trasimeno lake and examined for the presence of larvae in the abdominal cavity and muscle. The presence of nematodes in the abdominal cavity and musculature was revealed in three fish species. The prevalence of spp. infection was 6.84, 1.89 and 0.13% in perch, largemouth black bass and sand smelt, respectively. The number of parasites per fish was only one in largemouth black bass and sand smelt and ranged from one up to three in perch. This study states that the European perch, largemouth black bass and sand smelt of Trasimeno lake are infected with zoonotic parasites; therefore, food business operators have to take appropriate measures to guarantee the health of consumers.