Hidden infections: Linking parasite ecology, fish health and stakeholder perceptions in Nile tilapia aquaculture in central Kenya
- 1Research Group Zoology: Biodiversity and Toxicology, Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
Abstract
Parasite infections in farmed fish may remain unrecognised when fish-health assessment relies mainly on visible signs. We investigated metazoan parasite occurrence, parasite diversity and community composition, associations between gill-parasite burden and histological alterations, and stakeholder recognition of fish-health problems in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) aquaculture in central Kenya. We examined 157 fish from 20 farms, assessed gill histology in 137 fish, measured water quality once per farm, and collected questionnaire and interview data from 48 stakeholders. Five metazoan parasite groups were recorded, with monopisthocotylans the most prevalent (36.3%). Higher monopisthocotylan burden was associated with a greater cumulative number of gill lesion types (odds ratio 1.86, 95% CI 1.43-2.42, p < 0.001), whereas copepod burden was not. Parasite diversity was higher in the larger operational pond category across all three Hill-number orders (p = 0.006-0.008), and parasite-community composition differed between categories (PERMANOVA, p = 0.034), although these comparisons were exploratory because only four farms were in the larger category and farm category overlapped with county. Single-time-point water-quality measurements showed no clear associations with parasite burden, diversity or community composition after multiple-testing correction. Farmers and fisheries or extension officers recognised signs of poor fish health but rarely identified parasites as a specific cause, and routine diagnostic confirmation was uncommon. The findings reveal a gap between laboratory detection of parasite-associated gill alterations and farm-level recognition and diagnosis.
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BibTeX
@misc{shigoley2026hidden,
title = {{Hidden infections: Linking parasite ecology, fish health and stakeholder perceptions in Nile tilapia aquaculture in central Kenya}},
author = {M. I. Shigoley and N. Antoine-Moussiaux and T. Jauniaux and T.-J. Irabor and G. K. Kasembele and D. M. Ndegwa and B. J. Vanschoenwinkel and M. P. M. Vanhove},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.64898/2026.11.04.764176},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.11.04.764176v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Hidden infections: Linking parasite ecology, fish health and stakeholder perceptions in Nile tilapia aquaculture in central Kenya
AU - M. I. Shigoley
AU - N. Antoine-Moussiaux
AU - T. Jauniaux
AU - T.-J. Irabor
AU - G. K. Kasembele
AU - D. M. Ndegwa
AU - B. J. Vanschoenwinkel
AU - M. P. M. Vanhove
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/04
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.11.04.764176
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.11.04.764176v1
AB - Parasite infections in farmed fish may remain unrecognised when fish-health assessment relies mainly on visible signs. We investigated metazoan parasite occurrence, parasite diversity and community composition, associations between gill-parasite burden and histological alterations, and stakeholder recognition of fish-health problems in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) aquaculture in central Kenya. We examined 157 fish from 20 farms, assessed gill histology in 137 fish, measured water quality once per farm, and collected questionnaire and interview data from 48 stakeholders. Five metazoan parasite groups were recorded, with monopisthocotylans the most prevalent (36.3%). Higher monopisthocotylan burden was associated with a greater cumulative number of gill lesion types (odds ratio 1.86, 95% CI 1.43-2.42, p < 0.001), whereas copepod burden was not. Parasite diversity was higher in the larger operational pond category across all three Hill-number orders (p = 0.006-0.008), and parasite-community composition differed between categories (PERMANOVA, p = 0.034), although these comparisons were exploratory because only four farms were in the larger category and farm category overlapped with county. Single-time-point water-quality measurements showed no clear associations with parasite burden, diversity or community composition after multiple-testing correction. Farmers and fisheries or extension officers recognised signs of poor fish health but rarely identified parasites as a specific cause, and routine diagnostic confirmation was uncommon. The findings reveal a gap between laboratory detection of parasite-associated gill alterations and farm-level recognition and diagnosis.
ER -