An international research team, including scientists from King's College London and UNIFESP, has discovered that over half of the fish examined in the Amazon Basin are infected by harmful parasites known as myxozoa.

Myxozoan infections are not only a pressing issue in the Amazon; they have also contributed to a staggering 90% decline in trout populations in certain regions of the western United States.

Dr. Santiago Benites de Pádua emphasized the importance of these studies in formulating strategies to mitigate the health risks that parasites pose to farmed fish.

Professor Paul Long from King's College London stressed the critical need to understand these parasites for the sake of biodiversity and food security, highlighting a newly discovered gene regulation process in myxozoa.

These parasites are causing significant economic damage globally, with annual losses in fish farms exceeding £50 million (approximately $66 million).

The Amazon Basin, recognized for its unparalleled diversity of freshwater fish, provides an ideal setting for studying these parasites and their genetic regulation, especially as climate change poses new challenges.

The findings from this research could pave the way for developing gene-based vaccines aimed at protecting economically important fish species from these devastating pathogens.

To investigate the genetic mechanisms of myxozoa, the research team established a floating lab on a boat in the Amazon Basin, particularly near Santarém, Brazil.