Zoonotic fish parasites that pose risks to human health in Türkiye

Abstract

Fish-borne zoonotic diseases have been documented as the causative agents of considerable problems for humans on a global scale. This paper, for the first time, reveals the current zoonotic parasites of fish from wild and cultured hosts in marine, freshwater, and aquarium environments, as well as in native, endemic, and introduced hosts across different geographical areas and seas in Türkiye, based on published data to date. According to the latest global reports, zoonotic fish parasites in Türkiye are dominated by nematodes (17 species), trematodes (11 species), and cestodes (four species), followed by acanthocephalans (two species) and myxozoans (two species). The greatest diversity of zoonotic nematodes was observed in wild marine environments, whereas the greatest diversity of trematodes was in wild freshwater environments. No zoonotic parasites have been reported in any cultured marine fish species in Türkiye. All reported zoonotic parasite taxa exhibited greater diversity among native hosts than among endemic and introduced hosts. The information presented in tabular and graphical formats on the zoonotic parasite–host-geographical distributions, accompanied by annual reports, in Türkiye, provides a foundation for future research aimed at raising public awareness concerning the agents and their associated health hazards. Moreover, it also provides a framework for the development and evaluation of control measures by health specialists and official policymakers.