Table 1. Summary information on live Asian swamp eels from market and wild populations in the United States examined for larval stages of Gnathostoma spp. in 47 Monopterus cuchia swamp eels purchased from 5 ethnic food markets and 67 wild-caught M. albus (clades A, B, and C) from 4 introduced populations*.
| Sources and eel identifications (dates sampled) |
No. samples |
Total length, mm, min/max, (mean) |
Body weight, g, min/max (mean) |
No. eels (%) infected with Gnathostoma spp. |
Eel specimen, parasite species, intensity, and tissue infected |
| Market samples: all M. cuchia | |||||
| New York Chinatown, 3 markets (2011 Aug 22) | 10 | 631–850 (707) | 208–693 (359) | 3 (30): G. spinigerum | Mc 28 Gs 1K, 1M |
| Mc 30 Gs 1G | |||||
| Mc 32 Gs 1M | |||||
| Orlando, Florida, 1 market (2011 Jan 27, Oct 17, Oct 31; 2012 Jan 9) | 25 | 546–781 (669) | 173–565 (350) | 5 (20): G. spinigerum | Mc 17 Gs 4L |
| Mc 21 Gs 1G | |||||
| Mc 37 Gs 1L | |||||
| Mc 58 Gs 1G, 2M | |||||
| Mc 59 Gs 2G, 1M | |||||
| Atlanta, Georgia, 1 market (2010 Oct 25) | 12 | 663–825 (730) | 316–796 (486) | 5 (41.7): G. spinigerum | Mc 3 Gs 1G |
| Mc 9 Gs 12L, 2M | |||||
| Mc 10 Gs 1L | |||||
| Mc 11 Gs 1L | |||||
| Mc 12 Gs 2L | |||||
| All market samples (2010–2012) |
47 |
546–850 (692) |
174–796 (386) |
13 (27.7): G. spinigerum |
|
| Wild population samples | |||||
| Florida,Tampa area: M. albus clade C (2011 Nov 29–30) | 14 | 140–912 (347) | 5–693 (95) | 3 (21.4): G. turgidum; G. lamothei | Ma 48 Gt 4M |
| Ma 49 Gt 1M | |||||
| Ma 54 Gl 1K | |||||
| Florida, North Miami area: M. albus clade C (2012 Feb 6) | 11 | 292–710 (522) | 22–343 (168) | 0 | |
| Florida, Homestead area: M. albus clade B (2012 Mar 10 & 12) | 23 | 230–650 (431) | 6–309 (91) | 0 | |
| New Jersey: M. albus clade A (2012 Apr 18) | 19 | 190–630 (314) | 4–192 (35) | 0 | |
| All wild population samples (2011–2012) | 67 | 140–912 (395) | 4–693 (89) | 3 (4.5): G. turgidum; G. lamothei | |
*Min, minimum; max, maximum; Mc, M. cuchia; Gs, G. spingerum; K, kidney; M, muscle; G, gut; L, liver; ND, not determined; Ma, M. albus; Gt, G. turgidum; Gl, G. lamothei.