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Jun 11, 2009 06:20 PM | 25
Anthony Franz says an undercooked salmon salad gave him a 9-foot-tapeworm, and in August he sued the Chicago restaurant that served it to him.
If Franz’s tapeworm tale holds water – and the Chicago Sun-Times reports that the restaurant disputes his account – then it’s just one more data point to add to a growing urban tapeworm problem.
Once the bane of rural Japanese villagers, a paper in the June issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases reports on the spread of the the salmon tapeworm Diphyllobothrium nihonkaiense. The parasite, which can reach lengths of 39 feet (12 meters), has been steadily increasing its global distribution and prevalence – mostly among yuppies with a hankering for sashimi and ceviche.
One hospital in Japan reported 14 cases last year, up from 3 cases in 2000. And starting in 2006, the tapeworm has been popping up for the first time in North America and Europe. Meanwhile, farm-raised salmon from South America have been plagued by a closely related tapeworm that normally infects perch and other freshwater fish.
More parasite news comes from a recent study in PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases which reports that the fox tapeworm, already serious public health issue in Asia, has been expanding in Europe since the 1990s along with the urban fox population. The fox tapeworm is spread to humans in canine feces and can cause a fatal disease of the liver known as alveolar echinococcosis. In the recent study, scientists used genetics to piece together the spread of the infection from its home base in the Alps out to Poland, Slovakia, and Lithuania.
So how do you keep a clean bill of health in the age of tapeworms? Since tapeworms live in the fish muscle and are destroyed by heat, it’s best to eat only fully cooked salmon. If you have to order sushi or ceviche, stick with critters like tuna that don’t spend time in rivers. (Japan’s new farm-raised tuna may be an ecological boon, but it doesn’t bode well for parasite propagation.) As for the fox tapeworm: be sure to wash your hands (and food) if they come in contact with canine poop.
Image of Japanese parasite poster courtesy Photocapy via Flickr
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25 Comments
Add CommentThe guy who sued (Anthony Franz) should research the risks of eating uncooked meat before suing the restaurant. Somehow taking personal responsibility for yourself doesn't seem to American (I'm an american too ;)). Everytime I go to eat sushi, I know parasites are a risk. Parasites are one of the many reasons, we humans decided to start cooking meat in the first place. And saltwater parasites can live for remarkably long times if at cool temperatures.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI thought restaurants that serve sushi have it frozen to kill the parasites...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFrom http://www.eatsushi.com/article.asp?X=631
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"then sent to be processed and frozen with a nitrogen blast freezer."
it only takes one that did not get frozen enough to infect you. but it is true that the risk is ALMOST non existent.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSeems that tapeworms are not as bad as we have been led to believe...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://www.livescience.com/health/090504-humans-sick.html
Would irradiation kill tapeworms? From what I have read it seems irradiation would all but eliminate food poisoning and blood borne pathogenes ( prior to transfusing)
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou are correct melitab. Most of the time it is frozen. Though it does depend on where you get it. If you get locally caught fish (of which I bought some when I was in Hawaii) then its possible that it hasn't been flash frozen.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThat guy was eating at Shaw's Crab House. I've eaten there 100 times, always a great meal (and no parasites).
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://www.groundreport.com/US/Anthony-Franz-9-foot-tapeworm-from-Shaws-Crab-Hous
This guy wasn't eating sushi, but since there's already some sushi comments here...... Salmon is not a proper sushi fish. SURE, lots of sushi places have it, but a real honest to goodness real sushi chef will tell you that uncooked salmon is not an appropriate sushi fish. A visual inspection of this fish cannot be used as a reliable way to avoid parasites. If you're eating Salmon sushi - well you're just not as big of a sushi snob as you think you are, and you may pay for it with an unwelcome visitor.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis guy wasn't eating sushi, but since there's already some sushi comments here...... Salmon is not a proper sushi fish. SURE, lots of sushi places have it, but a real honest to goodness real sushi chef will tell you that uncooked salmon is not an appropriate sushi fish. A visual inspection of this fish cannot be used as a reliable way to avoid parasites. If you're eating Salmon sushi - well you're just not as big of a sushi snob as you think you are, and you may pay for it with an unwelcome visitor.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIrradiation would be VERY effective.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSadly the Left thinks it makes you glow or something.
There might be hope, though. For a long time the Left told us Microwave Ovens would kill us, and they got over that.
I beg to differ subterrasky. I live in Japan, home of sashimi, and salmon is one of the most popular fish to use when preparing sushi. Beyond its very savory taste one of the main reasons I hear from people of salmon being their favorite is because it's not so fishy (compared to most tuna).
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI do however think that there are better fish varieties to eat raw. Either way, even in Japan, the majority of fish is flash frozen before being sold or served.
First of all, Live Science is crap. Second, we're not dying by the millions from tuberculosis and cholera anymore, so i'm thinking that hygiene has had an overall positive effect. And, third, a 9 foot long tapeworm isn't bad for you?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt was a salmon salad not sushi that he alleges gave him the tapeworm. The responsibility is the restaraunt's not his. Anyone who's stupid enough to eat raw fish deserves a tapeworm. Gross.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFortunately, I never want to eat anything uncooked, even undercooked, and thus, it is not a problem to me.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSalmon may not be considered appropriate sushi fish but fresh slices on the bank of a river along with a spoonful of fresh eggs is too good to spoil with worries of parasites.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSalmon is wonderful for you if cooked properly! Pink fish are a great source of so many positive vitamins and nutrients for your body. Check to see that your salmon is really cooked before eating it! I have posted this article on my site www.thebuzzonlife.com to share with others.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSalmon is wonderful for you if cooked properly! Pink fish are a great source of so many positive vitamins and nutrients for your body. Check to see that your salmon is really cooked before eating it! I have posted this article on my site www.thebuzzonlife.com to share with others.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFirst of all, Live Science is crap. Second, we're not dying by the millions from tuberculosis and cholera anymore..."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou either didn't read the article or you didn't understand it.
www.livescience.com/health/090504-humans-sick.html
Have you seen where a bunch of cats have developed paralysis and death from eating cat food that was irradiated at too high a dose? I think it was in Australia. In the U.S. irradiated food has to be labeled so it can be avoided if one wishes. This may only be human food. Human food doesn't get irradiated at as high a dose as this cat food did, dogs who ate irradiated dog food have not been reported ill, and it seems to be a particular sensitivity in cats. Still, though, makes you wonder about the safety. Apparently the irradiation causes oxidants to form which then affect feline neurology, and also possibly destroys vitamins.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am starting a support group for abused parasites.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am starting a support group for abused parasites.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI'm not sure why you think Salmon is not a 'real' sushi fish. I live in Japan, my husband is Japanese, and Salmon is very common, at any place to eat here. Stores, markets, izakayas, etc. Salmon is common and can be very cheap or expensive, depending on the quality grade. In Japan, Salmon is a 'real' sushi and sashimi fish.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThere is always a risk of parasites when eating raw, fresh fish, unfortunately.
Regarding whether tapeworms are bad for you: In general, the only major difficulty caused by tapeworms is that they absorb nutrients you think you're feeding yourself, so malnutrition is the major danger especially vitamin B12 deficiency...a big problem in places where people don't get enough to eat, but in the US not as big an issue (you can also get some crampiness if you have a relatively bad infestation). If you have to get a parasite, mature intestinal tapeworms are definitely the way to go, but I still think it's better to avoid them (and I'm not familiar with the fox tapeworm which causing its more serious problems, but echinococcosis is caused when humans aren't the definitive tapeworm host but are host to larval forms, and is worse). Also, psychologically, the impact of finding tapeworm segments in your toilet can be rather disturbing for the faint of heart.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this[Interestingly, it looked to me like the Japanese poster was showing lots of different parasites, not just tapeworms, including a big wad of ascaris :) ]
@SalemCat, the left!? What is the matter with you that you feel the need to politicize everything? Are you suffering from paranoid delusions that "The Left" is out to persecute you? Do you have a stash of guns in the basement for when "The Left" comes to take you way? Do you sleep with your head wrapped in tinfoil so "The Left" can't read your mind? You need therapy. The world is much more complex than you think. I believe corporations shouldn't pay income tax. Does that make me part of "The Right"? I don't believe we should own land or consumer goods, we should lease. Does that make me part of "The Left"? I believe irradiation of food and limited use of DDT could help control emerging plaques. Now am I back on "The Right"? You people need to get over your "Idolatry of Ideology" and realize that there is a wide range of economic policies available to address a variety of social issues. The difference between them is not good and evil; it is values. Believing that your values and yours alone should be the basis of government is Megalomania or a Delusion of Grandeur which is a symptom of schizophrenia.
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