CIIMAR’s Thalassa Seminar with Simonetta Mattiucci | 3rd Floor Auditorium
The biodiversity, biology, distribution, ecology, epidemiology, and public health relevance of the currently known anisakid nematode species are presented, considering their natural hosts and human as accidental hosts, on a global scale. Key driving forces influencing the epidemiology of anisakid nematodes in wild and aquaculture fisheries are discussed (Mattiucci et al., 2018; Palomba et al., 2023). Additionally, major knowledge gaps in the epidemiology of anisakid species in both natural and accidental hosts are highlighted, particularly in light of emerging ‘omic’ technologies. From a public health standpoint, human infections caused by anisakid species remain significantly underreported and underestimated in many regions, worldwide. Considering widespread consumption of marine fish in coastal populations, substantial gaps persist in understanding the local epidemiological and ecological drivers of anisakid transmission to humans (Mattiucci et al., 2018). Future research on anisakids should adopt a ‘holistic’ One Health approach to enable a more comprehensive understanding of anisakid epidemiology across natural hosts, human populations, and marine ecosystems, in space and time.
Simonetta Mattiucci is an Associate Professor of Parasitology at Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. Her research focuses on the molecular epidemiology, systematics, and zoonotic relevance of anisakid nematodes, integrating genetic, immunological, and ecological approaches. She is a leading expert in parasite biology and food safety and an experienced lecturer and mentor in parasitology and microbiology.
In case of any questions, please contact CIIMAR’s Seminar team, Marta Monteiro, Miguel Semedo, & Paulo Oliveira, at seminars@ciimar.up.pt
External members of CIIMAR should send an email to slopes@ciimar.up.pt, requesting authorization to enter the Porto Cruise Terminal area
CIIMAR members can also access last seminars recordings through the LINK.
