HWN Suggests

What's In *Your* Sushi?

This bad boy is Anisakis, a worm that would much rather be off in the sea than in your gut. Its eggs float through alll the world’s oceans until they’re scarfed up by a crustacean, inside of which they mature into a new larval stage. Their next host is the fish that eats the crustacean–they escape from its gut and drill into its muscle. Finally, the fish is eaten by a dolphin or a seal, whereupon the worm becomes an adult and lives harmlessly and happily, churning out eggs that the predators kindly squirt out with their poop. In other words, the good life.

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Featured

 Anisakis: how did it get to the fish in my dish?

Humans and dolphins have similar body temperatures, so when they get into our organism, Anisakis larvae think they have finally found their long-awaited dolphin.

Articles of Interest

Anisakiasis: an easy-to-prevent zoonosis

The disease called "anisakiosis" or "anisakiasis" is contracted by eating fish products that have live larvae of worms called anisakis.

Assessing the risk of an emerging zoonosis of worldwide concern: anisakiasis

Anisakiasis is an emerging zoonosis caused by the fish parasitic nematode Anisakis. Spain appears to have the highest reported incidence in Europe and marinated anchovies are recognised as the main food vehicle.

Colonic Anisakiasis: an exceptional presentation

Anisakiasis is an under-diagnosed zoonotic infection whose incidence is increasing in our environment. It is caused by Anisakis simplex, Anisakis physeteris, or Pseudoterranova species. Marine mammals are natural hosts. Human beings become incidental hosts by eating raw or undercooked, infected fish. It is estimated that 90% of anisakis cases are reported in Japan.

Common Symptoms from an Uncommon Infection: Gastrointestinal Anisakiasis

Clinicians can be forgiven for thinking of anisakiasis as a rare condition low in the differential diagnosis of abdominal pain. Gastrointestinal anisakiasis is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by consumption of raw or undercooked seafood infected with nematodes of the genus Anisakis. Even though the reported cases indicate that this is a rare disease, the true incidence of the disease could be potentially higher.than what is reported in the literature as cases can go undiagnosed.

How to be sushi smart: tips on avoiding anisakis disease

The parasitic disease anisakiasis, caused by nematode larvae belonging to the genus Anisakis, is considered the main threat to human health. Every year and on all continents, countless cases are diagnosed in humans, in part because the rise in consumption of foods such as sushi and sashimi. In Japan alone, where it is traditional to eat raw fish and seafood dishes, more than 7,000 cases of anisakiasis occur annually.

Sushi parasite that embeds in the stomach is on the rise, doctors warn

Sushi has a healthy reputation – it can be low fat and high in protein – but a new report serves as a stark reminder that sushi made with raw fish can carry a dangerous parasite. Doctors warn that it's becoming a greater problem in Western countries as more people eat sushi, and they documented one recent case that serves as a cautionary tale.

‘Sushi parasites’ have increased 283-fold in past 40 years

Seafood processors and sushi chefs are well-practiced at spotting the worms in fish and picking them out before they reach customers in grocery stores, seafood markets or sushi bars, Wood explained. The worms can be up to 2 centimeters in length, or about the size of a U.S. 5-cent nickel.

Resources

CDC

Anisakiasis is a parasitic disease caused by anisakid nematodes (worms) that can invade the stomach wall or intestine of humans. The transmission of this disease occurs when infective larvae are ingested from fish or squid that humans eat raw or undercooked. In some cases, this infection is treated by removal of the larvae via endoscopy or surgery.