Allergy: Is Aquacultured Fish a Safe and Alternative Food to Wild-Capture Fisheries for -Sensitized Patients?

Background: ( infection, in humans, causes a series of clinical manifestations affecting the gastro-intestinal tract known as Anisakiasis/Anisakidosis. Patients may also present allergic manifestations such as hives and/or angioedema and even anaphylactic shock. The aim of this study was to investigate whether aquacultured fish could be considered -free food and constitute a safe, alternative, wild-capture fish food for Gastro-Allergic Anisakiasis (GAA)-sensitized subjects.

Methods: Protein extracts from larvae in the third stage (L3) and from edible part of heavily infected horse mackerel () and aquacultured sea bream, have been tested for allergens presence by immunological analysis. Western blot analysis using, as source of specific allergens antibodies, serum samples from subjects referring allergic symptoms after raw fish ingestion, was performed. These subjects showed high levels of specific IgE anti allergens determined by clinical laboratory tests (ISAC test).

Results: Our data demonstrate the presence of Ani s4 allergen in both infected and aquacultured fish extracts, providing a possible interpretation for the allergic manifestations reported by subjects, already sensitized to , who ate frozen or well-cooked or, even, aquacultured fish.

Conclusions: The present data stimulate more accurate prophylaxis suggestions for allergy and more specific controls of fishmeal used in aquaculture.