Main research topics:
- epidemiology of fish-borne parasites in marine fish species, through qualitative and quantitative surveys on infection by Anisakid nematodes in fish stocks from Italian seas and imported fish, aimed to assess their zoonotic risk.
- researches on diffusion and morphological characterization of freshwater fish-borne parasites, in particular plerocercoid larvae of Diphyllobothriidae cestode and metacercariae of digenean Opisthorchiidae, focusing on biotic and abiotic factors influencing the life cycle and assessing the risk factors causing introduction and maintenance of zoonotic parasites in aquatic systems.
- studies on fish helminths to clarify their life cycle, their impact on fish health and identifying control measures to be applied.
- epidemiology and taxonomy on digenean Clinostomidae.
- studies on parasitic diseases, and some of infectious origin, of farmed finfish and shellfish assessing the impact on wild fish and shellfish populations, with reference on different farming systems and through definition of risk factors and the pathological effects on fish host.
- studies on fish parasites in ornamental fish species kept in confined environment.
- epidemiological and taxonomical studies on parasitic fauna of great marine vertebrates from the wild and confined environment.
- studies on Myxozoan parasites in marine and freshwater fish, in particular on Enteromyxosis in sparids and Proliferative Kideny Diseases of salmonids, respectively.
- researches on Tungiasis in South America and human dirofilariosis by Dirofilaria repens
