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Antonella Costa

  • Biodiversity Journal, 10 (4): 495-496 - MONOGRAPH

    Vincenzo Ferrantelli, Antonella Costa, Stefania Graci, Gaetano Cammilleri, Maria Drussilla Buscemi, Rosaria Collura, Gianluigi Maria Lo Dico, Valentina Cumbo, Francesca Ornella Assiria, Michele Chetta, Andrea Macaluso & Antonio Vella
    Impact of the “Anisakis C.Re.N.A.” APP
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2019.10.4.495.496

    ABSTRACT
    Anisakiasis is a zoonotical disease provoked by the nematodes belonged to the Anisakidae family. The trend of Anisakiasis cases increases continously, therefore a constant awareness of this topic is essential for the consumers' protection. An application for smartphones was carried out by the National Centre for Anisakiasis for this purpose. This work aimed at evaluate the impact of “Anisakis CReNA” app for consumers by the implementation of a survey. The results obtained revealed that the app developed has reached the goal established giving easy to understand and easy to consult information for the protection of consumers regarding the risks related to these parasites.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 10 (4): 475-478 - MONOGRAPH

    Gaetano Cammilleri, Stefania Graci, Maria Drussilla Buscemi, Rosaria Collura, Antonella Costa, Gianluigi Maria Lo Dico, Francesca Ornella Assiria, Michele Chetta, Innocenzo Ezio Giangrosso, Francesco Giuseppe Galluzzo, Valentina Cumbo, Antonio Vella, Andrea Pulvirenti & Vincenzo Ferrantelli
    New report of Anikasis larvae from Blunthead Puffer, Sphoeroides pachygaster caught off Strait of Sicily
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2019.10.4.475.478

    ABSTRACT
    Aim of the present paper was to report and identify by morphological and molecular methods the presence of anisakid L3 larvae found in 7 specimens of Sphoeroides pachygaster caught off Strait of Sicily from 2012 and 2015. Nematode larvae (n=9) were collected from three fish samples: the larvae were morphologically identified as belonging to the genus Anisakis Type I and, stored in 70% ethanol, were underwent molecular identification at species level by PCR- RFLP analysis of the rDNA (ITS-1, 5.8S gene, and ITS-2) region. Sequencing of ITS regions and comparison with sequences in GenBank were also performed. The parasites were molecular identified as belonging to A. pegreffii that is the predominant species in Mediterranean Sea. This is a new report of Anisakis sp. in S. pachygaster. The blunthead puffer Sphoeroides pachygaster is a fish species of Atlantic origin: in the last years there are indeed numerous reports of this alien fish species in the Mediterranean included Italian Seas. The presence of the species Anisakis pegreffii may support the hypothesis of complete adaptation of S. pachygaster in the Mediterranean Sea.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 10 (4): 465-468 - MONOGRAPH

    Stefania Graci, Rosaria Collura, Maria Drussilla Buscemi, Antonella Costa, Gaetano Cammilleri, Valentina Cumbo, Giuseppe Giangrosso, Michele Chetta, Antonello Cicero, Antonio Vella, Andrea Macaluso & Vincenzo Ferrantelli
    Detection of Anisakidae larvae in fish products commercialized in Sicily
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2019.10.4.465.468

    ABSTRACT
    In this work a total of 1331 fish samples belonging to 15 species (Engraulis encrasicolus, Alaccia aurita, Loligo vulgaris, Trigla lyra, Conger conger, Merluccius merluccius, Zeus faber, Lophius piscatorius, Sardina pilchardus, Lepidopus caudatus, Scorpaena scrofa, Scomber scombrus, Trachurus trachurus, Todarodes sagittatus, Trachinus draco) from Sicilian commercialized in Sicily (FAO 37, FAO 37.1.3, FAO 37.1.1, FAO 37.2.2, FAO 37.3, FAO27, FAO 41, FAO87), were examined for the detection of Anisakidae larvae and molecular identification. The fish samples were examined for the research of nematodes by visual inspection and digestion method according to the EC Regulation 2075/2005. Detected larvae were subjected to morphological identification through the optical microscopy. Subsequently, the DNA was extracted and the molecular identification of the larvae was conducted by RFLP-PCR of the nuclear ITS region (ITS-1, ITS-2 and 5.8 S subunit). The polymerase chain reactions targeting the cytochrome c oxidase subunit II (cox2) was performed and subjected to sequence reaction. A number of 370 larvae have been identified at species level, of which 330 belong to the Anisakis pegreffii, 23 to the Anisakis simplex sensu strictu, 6 to the recombinant genotype Anisakis pegreffii/simplex s. s., 1 to Anisakis physeteris and 10 to Hysterothylacium fabri. The data obtained provide interesting reflections on the presence of parasites belonging to the Anisakidae family in fishery products marketed in the Sicilian territory. These findings are an excellent tool for assessing and preventing possible risks due to the consumption of these products.