Parasitic worms of fish

Immunity to Parasitic Worms

Helminth infection provides a unique challenge to the host immune system. Not only are helminths complex multicellular organisms, but they have intricate life cycles with multiple developmental stages, several of which may coexist in the infected host. In most cases, the host response to helminth infection is characterized by eosinophilia, increased serum immunoglobulin (Ig) E and IgG4, and mas...

The Challenge of Parasitic Worms

Parasitic worms and inflammatory diseases

The debate on whether infection precipitates or prevents autoimmunity remains a contentious one. Recently the suggestion that some unknown microbe can be at the origin of some chronic inflammatory diseases has been countered by accumulating evidence that decreasing infection rates might have an important role to play in the rising prevalence of autoimmune disorders. The 'Hygiene Hypothesis' was...

Worms in Fish

The presence of nematode or round worms in the flesh of marine fish has long been known and is perceived to be both an aesthetic and human health problem. The most abundant group are members of the genus Anisakis and within fish they are small, colourless worms which are found, often lightly coiled within the flesh or the viscera. Within the flesh they are often difficult to see with the naked ...

The Parasitic Worms of Man and the Domestic Animals