Effect of Dissolved Oxygen on Infectivity Pattern of Cestodes Lytocestus haryanii in Fish Clarias batrachus L. of River Yamuna, Yamuna Nagar (Haryana), India

Abstract

Background: The parasitic helminths have long been a significant concern to human health and the sustainability of various ecosystems, including aquaculture. Parasitic infections can disrupt aquaculture quality and biodiversity richness, leading to ecological imbalances as well. Thus, parasitism is crucial not only for human health but also for the management of habitat communities, sustainable development, and ecosystem conservation. Hydrological attributes can predominantly influence the infectivity pattern of parasitic helminths in terms of species richness, diversity, prevalence, geographic distribution, and transmission dynamics in any group of aquatic hosts.Aim: The present research work was carried out to estimate the concentration of dissolved oxygen (mg/L) and its effect on the infectivity pattern and bioecology of Caryophyllids Lytocestus haryanii in catfish Clarias batrachus L. of the Yamuna River, Yamuna Nagar (Haryana), India.Materials and Methods: The present study was carried out from July 2018 to June 2020. The concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO, mg/L) in the collected water samples was estimated using the modified Winkler’s method. Various modern numerical tools were employed for assessment and validation of the effect of DO (mg/L) on infectivity patterns of L. haryanii.Results: The peak dissolved oxygen concentration (mg/L) was estimated (modified Winkler’s method) during the months of April and August, which positively corroborated the establishment, richness, and burden of caryophyllids in fish hosts. However, augmented dissolved oxygen (DO, mg/L) in river water reflected a negative correlation with infection prevalence, distribution, and transmission dynamics of cestodes among the host population.Conclusion: The biostatistical substantiation by regression trends, ANOVA, and F-tests revealed that the concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO, mg/L) is a principal component of hydrological attributes that significantly influence the infectivity pattern of caryophyllids in fish hosts. Therefore, the authors propose raising awareness about parasitic helminths, which may be helpful in the management of healthy and sustainable aquaculture and riverine ichthyodiversity.

Keywords: Lytocestus haryanii; Bioecology; Infectivity pattern; Parasitic helminthes; Infection prevalence; Mean worm burden