El pescado es un alimento con contenido graso variable, bajo en calorías y rico en proteínas, vitaminas y elementos minerales que facilitan las funciones metabólicas del organismo humano. No obstante, este alimento puede contener agentes patógenos con posibilidad condicionante de la calidad alimentaria y producir distintos tipos de enfermedades. Estos patógenos están asociados a factores socioculturales y comportamentales que posibilitan la infección, destacándose la transmisión de parásitos, principalmente nematodos. Por ello, en este trabajo se planteó como objetivo general detectar la presencia de nematodos de la familia Anisakidae en pescados frescos comercializados en algunos mercados de la región nor-oriental e insular venezolana. Se estudiaron 913 ejemplares de 20 especies de peces de consumo popular. Se realizó la extracción mecánica de larvas vivas ubicadas en vísceras/musculatura. Se calculó prevalencia e intensidad media de parasitismo. De las 20 especies investigadas, solo dos, lebranche (Mugil liza) y lisa (Mugil curema o Mugil incilis) resultaron positivas para anisákidos. En el lebranche predominó el género Contracaecum spp. (84,39%), seguido por Pseudoterranova spp. (10,00%) y Anisakis spp. (5,61%). En la lisa resultó, Anisakis (47,16%) Pseudoterranova spp. (40,10%) y Contracaecum spp. (12,74%). La carga parasitaria media para la lisa fue 65 ± 5 parásitos/unidad y en el lebranche 38 ± 16 parásitos/unidad; ubicándose principalmente en vísceras digestivas y riñones. Se concluye que existe riesgo de adquirir parasitosis humana causada por anisakidos, según los hábitos culturales de consumo de lisa y lebranches capturados en la región costera nor-oriental e insular de Venezuela.

Fish is a food with variable fat content, low in calories and rich in proteins, vitamins and mineral elements that facilitate the metabolic functions of the human organism. However, this food can contain pathogens with conditional possibility of food quality and produce different types of diseases. These pathogens are associated with socio-cultural and behavioral factors that enable the infection, emphasizing the transmission of parasites, mainly nematodes. Therefore, the general objective of this study was to detect the presence of nematodes of the family Anisakidae in fresh fish sold in some markets of the North-Eastern and insular region of Venezuela. A total of 913 fish individuals were analyzed which belonged to 20 fish species of popular consumption. The live larvae located in viscera/musculature were mechanically extracted and the prevalence and mean parasite intensity were calculated. From the 20 studied species, only two, White mullet (Mugil liza) and Lebranche mullet (M. curema or M. incilis) were positive for anisakids. A predominance of the genus Contracaecum spp. (84.39%) was observed in the White Mullet, followed by Pseudoterranova spp. (10.00%) and Anisakis spp. (5.61%). In the Lebranche mullet, results were: Anisakis spp. (47.16%), Pseudoterranova spp. (40.10%) and Contracaecum spp. (12.74%). The mean parasite load for the Lebrache mullet was 65 ± 5 parasites/indiv., and in the White mullet 38 ± 16 parasites/indiv.; being found mainly in digestive viscera and kidneys. In conclusion, there is a risk of getting human parasitic diseases caused by anisakids, according to the cultural consumption habits of White mullet and Lebranche mullet captured in the coastal northeastern and insular region of Venezuela.