Scientists are saying that eating raw or undercooked fish increases your risk of getting an infection from numerous parasites. One of the most notorious is the tapeworm. This is a kind of species from a group of digestive tract-invading organisms that includes the Japanese broad tapeworm or its scientific name: Diphyllobothrium nihonkaiense.
Previously, it was thought to infect fish in Asia. However, a study that was released last Wednesday in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s monthly journal Emerging Infectious Diseases indicate that the wild salmon fish caught in Alaska was infected by the parasite.
Because of these findings, the researchers are warning the public about potential infections from salmon caught along the Pacific coast of North America.
Fish in the US May Carry Japanese Tapeworm, Scientists Say
Though this worm was commonly believed to infect only fish in Asia, a study published Wednesday in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s monthly journal Emerging Infectious Diseases says wild salmon caught in Alaska had also been infected by this parasite. Read more…
Fox59 talks about the most common tapeworm found in fish: Diphyllobothrium latum. More than 30 years ago, the scientists identified another member of this family, the Japanese broad tapeworm. This caused about 2,000 infections, making it the second most common cause of tapeworm prevalence.
In this day and age, researchers continued studying the tapeworms using new molecular methods. Through this, the researchers from Czech Science Foundation discovered that they’d been wrong all this time.
Most of the previous cases of infections in Japan, South Korea and the Pacific coast of Russia were caused by Japanese tapeworms rather than D. latum. The Japanese tapeworm larvae, known as plerocercoids were even discovered in salmon caught in eastern Russia and Japan.
Scientist Say US Fish May Carry Japanese Tapeworm
Almost all of the previous cases of tapeworm infections occurring in Japan, South Korea and the Pacific coast of Russia had actually been caused by Japanese tapeworms rather than D. latum. In fact, Japanese tapeworm larvae, known as plerocercoids, could be found in salmon caught off the coasts of eastern Russia and Japan. Read more…
KTXS.com says that this leads us to the question, could it also be infecting the fish in the United States?
In July 2013, a group of scientists examined at least 64 wild Alaskan salmon. The scientists observed the muscles and internal organs of each fish under a magnifying glass. They uncovered the presence of larvae, at leasr 8-15 millimeters long. What’s even disturbing is that they continually elongate and contract. After using gene sequencing techniques, these were confirmed as Japanese tapeworms.
Based on the study’s findings, it appears that four specifies of Pacific salmon are known to carry the infection: chum salmon, masu salmon, pink salmon and sockeye salmon. These are exported on ice and unfrozen. As they appear in different restaurants around the world, it could be difficult to pinpoint the origin.
US Salmon May Carry Japanese Tapeworm, Scientists Say
Because these salmon are exported on ice — unfrozen — and then appear in restaurants around the world, infections caused by the Japanese tapeworm may occur anywhere, from China to Europe, from New Zealand to Ohio. Read more…
It might be of good practice to choose your food carefully, especially when eating these kinds of fish. Moreover, if this is already part of your eating routine for a long time now, it’s better to have yourself tested.
Image Credit: CNN News
The post Results Show Salmon May Carry Japanese Tapeworm appeared first on NUTRITION CLUB CANADA.
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