In the epidemiological survey of wild fish, 10 sites in the Mediterranean (Spain, France, Italy and Israel), Ionian (Greece) and Red Sea (Israel) were sampled. Amongst 2260 fish examined, 55 specimens belonging to eight families (Apogonidae, Carangidae, Chaetodontidae, Lethrinidae, Mugilidae, Pomacentridae, Siganidae, Sparidae) were positive in the PCR-L assay. Parasitized fish belonged mainly to the familes Mugilidae (Mediterranean, Italy and Israel), Siganidae and Carangidae (Mediterranean and Red Sea, Israel).

The high proportion of PCR-positive individuals caught at enzootic farms as compared to the other sites indicated that close proximity of wild fish to infected farm stocks created feral infection reservoirs.