In Portugal, a man contracted anisakiasis, an infection linked to a parasite, after eating sushi.
That cute sashimi that you just ordered, that piece of raw salmon that you are about to gulp down with relish, maybe you should give it up. The uncooked flesh of fish is the subject of increasing suspicion. Of course, all of us know that tartars, sushi and other raw dishes carry a health risk. But new work reminds us of this risk, and calls for the greatest caution.
In the pages of BMJ Case Reports, Devoted to clinical cases, a Portuguese doctor describes the disease contracted by one of his 32-year-old patients, a sushi lover. After one of these Japanese meals, the man developed anisakiasis, associated with the symptoms of severe food poisoning: severe intestinal pain, repeated vomiting, fever – and this, for a week, before going to the hospital. hospital.
Big parasite
Anisakiasis is an infection caused by a nematode parasite: Anisakis marina (simplex), the larvae of which are ingested by fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring and cod.
At the Lisbon hospital, gastroenterologists were able to observe, first, a tenderness in the abdomen as well as an increase in the number of white blood cells, characteristic of an infection. An endoscopy allowed us to find out more – or rather, to visualize the situation. On the swollen intestinal membrane of the patient was securely attached a large parasite, the tail of which penetrated the stomach. Doctors immediately dislodged the larva from its habitat.
BMJ Case Reports
2,000 to 3,000 infections in Japan
As pointed out by CNN, which interviewed the doctor, the first infection of a human with this parasite was observed in the 1960s in the Netherlands, in a patient who had consumed lightly salted herring. But most of the cases occur where sushi was born, that is, in Japan. Between 2,000 and 3,000 infections are diagnosed each year in the country.
In Europe, this parasitosis could be greatly underestimated, explain the doctors interviewed by the American channel. Indeed, the success of raw dishes from Japanese cuisine would have exploded the incidence of the disease.
A study carried out in Spain and mentioned by the Portuguese gastroenterologist has shown that nearly 40% of fresh mackerel examined in several markets in Granada are contaminated by anisakis simplex. Other work carried out in five Spanish supermarkets suggests a contamination level of 56% for blue whiting …
Overall, scientists believe that the risk of anisakiasis linked to the consumption of raw fish remains poorly assessed to date, especially in countries that love sushi. If they do not call to shun tables in Japanese restaurants, they suggest strengthening knowledge and prevention of this parasitic risk. Enjoy your meal…
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