Screening of Sanguinicolid Trematodes on Cultured Lates calcarifer Fingerlings in Peninsular Malaysia

Sanguinicoliasis is the aetiology for blood fluke infections both in marine and freshwater fishes, and it presents an ongoing threat to the aquaculture industry. Consequently, disease surveillance is an essential and important procedure for evaluation of fish health in cultured fish. In this study, we report the prevalence of sanguinicoliasis on cultured Asian sea bass (Lates calcarifer) fingerlings. Sanguinicolid infection was detected from fresh gill biopsy on 10.0 to 18.5 cm total length cultured L. calcalifer fingerlings from three localities in Peninsular Malaysia by the presence of the miracidia and embryonated eggs embedded in the gills. The prevalence of infection of sanguinicoliasis were 20.0%, 11.1% and 6.7% for fingerlings from Kedah, Terengganu and Johor, respectively. Further study on the life cycle of this parasite, particularly the identification of the intermediate hosts, is required to be able to work toward host elimination and subsequent eradication of this disease. These results also serve as a baseline data for infection prevalence of sanguinicoliasis in L. calcarifer fingerling stages.