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Scientists find evidence of huge increase in parasitic worms found in raw seafood dishes

March 23, 2020 - from Food Safety News:

"The next time you eat sashimi, nigiri or other forms of raw fish, you should consider doing a quick check for worms, according to a team of researchers."

"A new study led by scientists at the University of Washington found 'dramatic increases in the abundance of a worm that can be transmitted to humans who eat raw or undercooked seafood.'"

"'Its 283-fold increase in abundance since the 1970s could have implications for the health of humans and marine mammals, which both can inadvertently eat the worm,” according to a report on the scientists’ work. They looked at a parasitic worm, known as Anisakis or “herring worm.'"

"Their’s is the first study to combine the results of previous research to investigate how the global abundance of these worms has changed through time. The findings were published March 19 in the journal Global Change Biology."

"The worms can’t reproduce or live for more than a few days in a human’s intestine, but they can persist and reproduce in marine mammals. The worms actually reproduce in the intestines of these animals and are released into the ocean via the marine mammals’ feces. Then the worms infect other creatures."

"The worms can be up to 2 centimeters in length, about as long as a nickel is wide."

"The worms actually reproduce in the intestines of these animals and are released into the ocean via the marine mammals’ feces, then infecting more animals."

"The authors aren’t sure what caused the large increase of Anisakis worms over the past several decades, but climate change, more nutrients from fertilizers and runoff, and an increase in marine mammal populations over the same period could all be potential reasons, they wrote."

Ed. note: Anisakiasis can be prevented by freezing or cooking. See CDC Anisakiasis FAQs and Seafood Health Facts