HEALTH COACH - Beware of parasites of sushi, raw or undercooked fish

HEALTH COACH - 
 Beware of parasites of sushi, raw or undercooked fish  



 

Sushi may seem like a healthy choice, but if it is not prepared properly, raw fish can carry quite smooth parasites. That is what sent a 32-year-old Portuguese man to the emergency room with vomiting, severe gastrointestinal pain and low fever, according to a new case study.



At first, doctors thought the patient would need surgery, but when he told them that he had recently consumed sushi, they suspected a parasitic infection. To look for endless worms, doctors have inserted an endoscope, a long tube with a camera at the end, into the man 's throat and into his belly.



The camera spotted the larvae of a fish parasite called Anisakis firmly attached to an inflated intestinal lining. The larvae were removed with the use of a small specialized net. The symptoms of the man quickly resolved.



   danilovi / Getty Images 
 Anisakiasis is caused by the consumption of raw or poorly cooked fish or seafood infected with nematode parasites. Most cases are in Japan, but doctors see more in western countries. 

 



While the majority of cases of parasitic infections from raw fish have been reported in Asian countries, "it has been increasingly recognized in Western countries," the Portuguese researchers wrote in the BMJ report.



Raw fish can be eaten safely, but only if certain rules are respected. An empirical rule is to eat previously frozen fish, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Freezing kills many parasites, although it does not kill all harmful microorganisms.



Prior to consumption, fish must be frozen according to the following guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:


     
  •  At -4 ° F or less for 7 days (total time) 
    •  
  •  At -31 ° F or less until sturdiness and storage at -31 ° F or less for 15 hours 
    •  
  •  At -31 ° F or less until sturdiness and store at -4 ° F or less for 24 hours 
    •  
 

Although when you eat in a restaurant, there is no way to know if the rules have been met.


 Symptoms include tingling sensation 


Symptoms may occur immediately after eating fish contaminated with small worms.



"Some people experience a tingling sensation after or while eating raw or poorly cooked fish or squid," warns the CDC. This is actually the worm that moves in the mouth or throat.



At this point, the person can often manually extract the worm from his mouth or touch the worm and prevent the infection. Some people experience vomiting as a symptom and this can often expel the body worm.





Fortunately, there are not many cases - though - in the United States.



Gastroenterologist Dr. Arvydas Vanagunas said that he saw one or two patients with the infection.



"The main symptom is a fairly severe abdominal pain that usually occurs within a few hours after consuming raw or uncooked fish," said Vanagunas, a medical professor at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University and Northwestern Memorial Hospital.



Sushi fan Dr. Mohamed Yassin said that any type of fish can be infected and this can happen anywhere. Rising: parasites are less frequent in freshwater fish.



A last horrible warning: infections are not limited to the intestines.



"The worm gets into the body and then it tries to get out because there is no way to mature because we are not its host," Yassin said. "So it can go to unusual places, like tongue, oral cavity, lungs, liver, eyes or under the skin, itching."





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