The Contribution of Perch (Perca fluviatilis L. 1758) to Maintaining the Diphyllobothriasis Focus in the Krasnoyarsk Reservoir and the Yenisei River

Abstract

The study investigates infection rates of perch by plerocercoids of the Dibothriocephalus latus (Linnaeus, 1758) Lühe, 1899 (syn. Diphyllobothrium latum) broad tapeworm in the creeks of the Krasnoyarsk Water Reservoir and in the Yenisei River (within the limits of the city of Krasnoyarsk). Plerocercoids were found in the perch in all study areas. The rates of invasion of the fish in the Yenisei River and in the creeks of the lower part of the Reservoir – Biryusa and Shumikha – were low (9.8, 6.9, and 13.5%, respectively); the infection of perch was higher in the middle part of the Reservoir, in the Sisim Creek (21.4%). The fish purchased at an unauthorized market was the most infected – 68.5%. The sample included large fish, weighing from 70 to 970 g. A positive correlation was noted between invasion rate and fish age (r=0.7). The plerocercoids found in the fish were viable. They were mainly localized in the fish muscle. Diphyllobothriosis is a commonly occurring helminthiasis in the riverine communities transformed because of the damming of rivers. In the Krasnoyarsk Water Reservoir, the broad tapeworms are usually transmitted along the plankton – perch – pike chain. The data obtained in this study show that small perch, consuming infected plankton, plays a leading role in maintaining the abundance of D. latus in the water reservoir. However, the main contribution to the epidemiological situation in the region is made by the large perch, which is heavily infected with broad tapeworm plerocercoids because of its cannibalistic feeding behavior. Both recreational fishermen and the people purchasing fish at unauthorized markets prefer large perch. Commercial and recreational fishing, settlements on the shores of the Reservoir, and the increasing number of tourists have contributed to the invasion of pathogenic organisms in the Reservoir. The perch caught in the Krasnoyarsk Water Reservoir or in the Yenisei River or purchased at unauthorized markets, which have not been inspected for disease, could be a source of diphyllobothriosis infection for people