Liver pathology of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus infected with Euclinostomum clarias metacercariae in Anambra River Basin, Nigeria

Abstract

The liver pathology of Clarias gariepinus infected with Euclinostomum clarias metacercariae in Anambra river basin was investigated from January to September, 2002. The clariids were examined and the livers of those infected with the metacercariae of the digenean trematode, Euclinostomum clarias, were fixed in 10% formal-saline, paraffin processed, sectioned and stained with haematoxylin and eosin. Infected liver showed massive pathological lesions ranging from hepatic degeneration, extravasations of bilirubin, necrosis, fibrosis, inflammatory reactions to proliferation of bile duct around the hepatic triad. These tissue reactions and damage were more prominent around and along the areas where the larvae localized or migrated. The liver of the uninfected fish did not show the lesions and damage which reduced the productivity and market price of the infected fish.