An Outbreak of the Nematode Parasite Eustrongylides spp. (Nematoda: Dioctophymatidae) in a Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Facility.

Despite advances in research employing zebrafish (Danio rerio) as an animal model, it is still difficult to obtain animals with attested sanitary qualities from commercial breeders. This study reports the first-time occurrence of Eustrongylides spp. parasitism in a zebrafish colony recently acquired from a pet store supplier to begin a research colony at a scientific facility. This parasite has not been reported in any current zebrafish health-monitoring guidelines to date. Thus, this report is a warning to breeders and researchers that this nematode can parasitize zebrafish, causing high lethality rates and compromising research outcomes.