Let's start with the fact that not every worm that has found refuge in fish is harmful and dangerous to human health, although there are a lot of fish worms in nature. If you notice red worms in fish meat, be very careful and try to remove them as much as possible before you start cooking.
According to recent research in this direction, it has been established that almost all commercial fish are invasive. Even sea fish are susceptible to this scourge, although many mistakenly consider it safe due to the high salt content in sea water. Marine fish contain anikasids, cestodes and a number of other types of fish helminths, as well as nematode roundworms or flat flukes.
What to do in such a situation? To get started, we recommend reading this article. This article describes in detail methods of controlling parasites. We also recommend that you consult a specialist. Read the article >>>
What to do if worms are found in red fish. What to do? It is better to return such fish to the seller, but you can also subject it to thorough heat treatment or freezing. In this case, up to 99% of helminths die. But first try to remove worms from the fish meat and its intercostal space, since even completely safe worms are very unpleasant to eat.
Parasites of sea bass
Statistics indicate that, from year to year, the meat of this fish causes helminth infections in a large number of people (about 15 million) around the world. Many marine parasites that live in fish do not pose any threat to humans. Among them there are a thin-bodied, long parasite called pharyonis, as well as a white spherical pest.
Dangerous to humans are Diffilobothrium latum, also known as broad tapeworm or Diffilobothrium dendricum.
The latter can be found much more often in fresh water than in sea water. The greatest harm to humans is due to the fact that worms can exist not only in the intestines or liver tissue. Parasites are found under the skin, in the eyeballs and even in the brain tissue. In neglected situations, the tapeworm can grow to enormous sizes (several tens of centimeters).
When a person is infected, he feels a loss of energy, has problems with digestion and joints, and also develops persistent viral infections.
Black spots on fish and their danger to humans. Good to know!
More and more often, fish with black dots on their scales and skin appear in bycatch. What kind of points are these and where do they come from?
As it turned out, these spots are nothing more than black-spotted fish disease, the causative agent of which is the larvae of the parasitic worm Postodiplostomum cuticola.
This parasite lives and lays eggs in the intestines of birds that eat fish and is harmless to humans. The cycle of the appearance of a full-fledged worm has several stages of development, each of which has its own intermediate host.
After the parasite in the intestines of a fish-eating bird has reached puberty, it lays eggs, which are excreted from the intestines by the bird's feces. The second in the chain of degeneration of the post-diplostomosis worm are mollusks, into whose body the larvae (miracidia) that find themselves in the water penetrate.
In the body of the new victim, asexual reproduction of miracidia occurs, which results in new larvae with a different structure. They are called cicarii. These same cicarii leave the mollusks and make their way under the skin of fish, which are the next link in the chain of worm appearance. A capsule forms under the skin of the fish, and black dots are a product of the breakdown of pigment cells and blood cells. On the body of the fish, the cicariae transform into metacercariae. They live under the skin until the circle is closed and the carrier of the parasites is eaten, for example, by a night heron.
Postodiplostomosis is widespread almost everywhere, and this is due to the deterioration of the ecological situation in water bodies and the spread of mollusks. Although a person is not included in the chain of development of the worm, neither as an intermediate link, nor as the final carrier, and according to approved GOST standards, if there are points on the body of commercial fish, it goes on sale without any processing, it is still worth paying attention to these points.
No matter how sad it is to note, in the realities of today, concern for one’s own safety lies with the citizen and fish bought in a store is no guarantee that it was checked properly, but due to the constant discharge of sewage waste into water bodies, the safety of the fish caught on one’s own fish are out of the question. Therefore, it is not a fact that in fish, except for post-diplostomosis, there are no other parasites whose host can be a person. A prerequisite for eating any river fish was and remains its proper preparation (well-done, boiling for at least 25 minutes, freezing before salting for at least 3 days), this will eliminate the presence of other parasites except opisthorchiasis, from which this material will help you protect yourself - Diseases fish that can sicken humans. Opisthorchiasis
Take care of yourself and your loved ones.
Signs of parasites in red snapper
An unpleasant odor from the fish indicates that it has been contaminated with something. It can come from the process of preparing the broth, although the fish looked quite edible before it entered the pan. A swollen abdomen and dry mucous membranes also indicate problems. In the process of butchering a sick individual, bleeding may begin, which will be profuse. Cloudy eyes, dull, pale gills and uneven skin also indicate that the fish is unhealthy.
In the photo below you can see representatives of roundworms, among them there are those that can cause anisakiasis. The course of this disease is acute and severe. The patient becomes feverish, develops partial gastric obstruction, and becomes inflamed in the abdominal cavity. The problem can only be eliminated through urgent hospitalization and surgical treatment.
The affected area of the stomach is surgically excised, since multiple ulcerations and tumor-like formations form on it.
Parasites in sea bass can be found under the skin. A representative of this type of marine pest is Sphyrion lumpi. But it is also capable of infecting fish living in river waters. It can be neutralized only by careful heat treatment using salt and various spices. This crustacean parasite makes the appearance of the fish unpleasant and repulsive, but poses no danger to humans at all.
Is Sfirion Lumpi dangerous for humans?
The appearance of an infected animal may be a reason to avoid preparing a fish dish, but Sphyrion lumpi does not pose a threat to human health. Before sale, fish are subject to sanitary inspection. If there are single lesions, it is frozen and put on sale, after removing the crustaceans. If helminths are found on internal organs, the fish is processed to obtain bone meal. At home, you should carefully examine the carcasses, remove hard capsules, and wash and heat treat the rest of the meat.
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What parasites are still found in perch?
There is an opinion that helminths can only be found in freshwater fish. But this is not true, because marine species can also be infected with worms. For example, there are parasites in sea bass, photos of which can be seen below.
Certain types of parasites that live on fish may not be dangerous to humans. Most often it is a large and long helminth called ligula.
Also found in perch:
- schistocephamos;
- Cystidicola pharyonis;
- Trienophorus nodulosus;
- phylometra.
Dangerous pathogenic microorganisms include Iffilobothrium dendriticum and Diphyllobotrimum latum.
Opisthorchiasis is often found in cyprinids. Red and sea fish cannot be infected with opisthorchiasis. But flukes often infect roach, crucian carp, bream, carp, and so on.
Parasites of sea bass - Sfirion lumpi. These are crustaceans with a long and narrow neck, a wide head and a flat body. Their length is from 4 to 7 cm. Young individuals are white, and old ones are brown.
Reference: Sphyrion is found in beaked, golden and small sea bass.
Only the head and neck of the crustacean penetrate the muscle tissue of the fish. Ulcers form in the implantation zone. If they are large, then they contain sticky exudate.
Parasites on sea bass, the photo of which is shown below, are isolated from the host by forming a connective tissue capsule that may protrude slightly above the ulcer.
There may be more than one parasite in sea bass. Thus, the number of crustaceans that infect fish can reach 12 pieces. Moreover, even after the death of the parasitic microorganism, the capsule remains in the body of the perch.
Parasites in marine fish
Fish infected with helminths is not uncommon. Many people are unaware of the richness of the animal world until they buy a product with creatures of unknown origin. There is an immediate desire to throw away the fish, but not all helminths can harm human health. Infestation is caused by the following classes of parasites:
- Nematodes are roundworms. Representatives of this genus are red in color. Scientific photographs show that the length of the helminth can reach 10 cm. Philometra fasciati, Philometra lethrini settle on cyprinids and are not dangerous to humans. Parasites of the species Contracaecum osculatum, Pseudoterranova decipiens cause a dangerous disease in humans - anisakiasis.
- Cestodes are tapeworms. Ligula intestinalis uses fish as an intermediate host. With its impressive body, the ligula causes harm to the internal organs of the animal. The definitive host of this parasite is herbivorous birds. Helminths of the genus Diphyllobothrium negatively affect human health and can reach 10 m in length.
- Trematodes. Posthodiplostomum cuticola causes postodiplostomosis. The disease appears as black spots throughout the body of freshwater fish. Dangerous parasites for humans are Clonorchis sinensis, Opisthorchis spp, helminths of the Heterophy family >
What harm is possible for a person?
Parasites are localized in the liver, gall bladder and pancreas. Thanks to the suckers on the body, the worms attach to the walls of organs, thereby damaging the tissue structure. The process is accompanied by inflammation and disruption of the urinary system.
The following symptoms are typical for infection:
- feeling of nausea and vomiting;
- heartburn;
- feeling of discomfort on the right side under the ribs;
- stool disorder;
- decreased or complete lack of appetite;
- periodic temperature jumps up to 39 °C;
- sometimes jaundice appears.
Due to the toxic effect of the parasite on the body, a person experiences headaches, muscle weakness, fatigue, and rapid heartbeat.
In people prone to allergies, rashes appear and immune defenses decrease.
When they remain in human organs for a long time, parasites cause inflammation in a chronic form, which leads to diseases: cirrhosis, hepatitis, the appearance of fibrous tissue, and liver cancer.
Prevention
Preventive measures against infection are based on proper preparation of the product.
Methods for storing and processing fish:
- Freezing will help get rid of live parasites in 2-4 weeks if the freezer temperature is below 12 °C. The product must be frozen evenly and slowly. Even at temperatures below 25 degrees and quick freezing in the freezer, worm eggs can remain viable.
- Drying and salting. To completely destroy helminths, the brine is prepared at a concentration of 20%. The fish must be kept in liquid for at least 7 days. It is better to salt in small batches. Before drying, the product is salted for 2 weeks; the drying time must be increased to 3 weeks.
- Parasites do not survive heat treatment. It is recommended to boil or fry the product, cutting it into small pieces, for 20-40 minutes. When baking, the cooking time increases to 1 hour. Hot smoking at a temperature of 80 °C lasts 2 hours. When cold smoking with smoke, the fish is pre-salted as for drying. Heat treatment is also necessary when feeding pets.
To cut fish, you need to allocate a separate board, knife and utensils. After the procedure, rinse the accessories well.
Is it possible to eat fish if it has worms?
If a person can independently determine the type of parasite and whether it is safe, then the product can be consumed after heat treatment.
The following signs will help you distinguish infected fish from healthy ones:
- Softness of the product. Fresh, healthy meat should be elastic and not leave any dents after pressing.
- Cloudiness of the pupils, dryness around the eyes, black spots on the body. Normally, the fish has clear, convex eyes.
- Sticky skin under scales. A healthy appearance is distinguished by the shine of the scales, they are laid correctly and do not stick out, the fish is difficult to clean.
- An elongated, saggy and swollen abdomen indicates the presence of parasites inside.
- Gill color. An infected individual has greenish gills, while a healthy one has pink gills.
- Unpleasant odor of the product.
It is possible to defeat parasites!
Antiparasitic Complex® - Reliable and safe removal of parasites in 21 days!
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Read further:
Fish parasites: helminths parasitizing sea and river fish
Worms in fish: are there river or sea fish? Is it possible to eat raw or salted fish with worms?
Tapeworm in fish (sea and river): why it is dangerous for humans, where it comes from and how not to get infected
Worms in the human body: in the intestines, liver, head, eyes and under the skin
Worms in the eyes of humans: what parasites affect the eyes, symptoms and treatment
Worms in the stool of a child: can they be seen, white, black and red threads in the stool of children
How to determine the presence of parasites
There are some characteristic signs for this:
- For some unknown reason, a person develops a runny nose that does not go away within several days.
- Watery eyes indicate the possible presence of parasites obtained from sea bass.
- Joint pain is also a signal of the possible appearance of helminths.
- Stomach upset, diarrhea, constipation, or strange colored or smelling stool may indicate worms in the stomach.
- Regular sore throats and colds.
- Poor appetite and nervousness along with bags under the eyes are also very unfavorable symptoms.
People who have foreign elements in their bodies feel tired and have frequent headaches. Their performance is reduced, which often results in nervousness and irritability.
Bibliography
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Brucellosis. Parasites. Link
- Corbel MJ Parasitic diseases // World Health Organization. Link
- Young EJ Best matches for intestinal parasites // Clinical Infectious Diseases. — 1995. Vol. 21. - P. 283-290. Link
- Yushchuk N.D., Vengerov Yu.A. Infectious diseases: textbook. — 2nd edition. - M.: Medicine, 2003. - 544 p.
- Prevalence of parasitic diseases among the population, 2009 / Kokolova L. M., Reshetnikov A. D., Platonov T. A., Verkhovtseva L. A.
- Helminths of domestic carnivores of the Voronezh region, 2011 / Nikulin P. I., Romashov B. V.
An article for patients with a doctor-diagnosed disease. Does not replace a doctor's appointment and cannot be used for self-diagnosis.
The best stories from our readers
Topic: Parasites are to blame for all troubles!
From: Lyudmila S. ()
To: Administration Noparasites.ru
Not long ago my health condition worsened. I began to feel constant fatigue, headaches, laziness and some kind of endless apathy appeared. Problems also appeared with the gastrointestinal tract: bloating, diarrhea, pain and bad breath.
I thought it was because of the hard work and hoped that it would go away on its own. But every day I felt worse. The doctors couldn’t really say anything either. Everything seems to be normal, but I feel like my body is not healthy.
I decided to go to a private clinic. Here I was advised, in addition to general tests, to get tested for parasites. So in one of the tests they found parasites in me. According to doctors, these were worms, which 90% of people have and almost everyone is infected, to a greater or lesser extent.
I was prescribed a course of antiparasitic medications. But it didn’t give me any results. A week later, a friend sent me a link to an article where some parasitologist shared real tips on fighting parasites. This article literally saved my life. I followed all the advice that was there and after a couple of days I felt much better!
Digestion improved, headaches went away and the vital energy that I so lacked appeared. To be sure, I took the tests again and no parasites were found!
Anyone who wants to cleanse their body of parasites, no matter what types of these creatures live in you, read this article, I’m 100% sure it will help you! Go to article>>>
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