If you love sushi, or if you were planning to have it as your Friday treat, you might want to reconsider.
Doctors have said that there's been a rise in the amount of people being treated for parasitic infections in the West after sushi started to become massively popular.
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Yup, there's been cases of little worms inside people's bodies. Experts have written in British Medical Journal Case Reports regarding a recent case in Portugal of a man who was suffering from stomach pain, being sick and fever. The 32-year-old's symptoms had been going on for a week, reports Metro.
They did a standard blood test and found that he had mild inflammation, and he complained that the area below his ribs was 'tender'.
Doctors were stumped until he mentioned that he'd recently enjoyed some sushi. At this point, medical professionals began to explore the possibility that he had anisakiasis.
Anisakiasis might not sound entirely familiar. If it does, I feel sorry for you. Basically, it's a genus of parasitic nematodes - or to us un-sciencey types, it's a parasitic disease. And what do parasites translate to? Worms. Little tiny worms.
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Credit: Wikimedia Commons
The worms attach themselves to the stomach wall or intestines of humans. The infected larvae can get into your system when you ingest undercooked or raw seafood.
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
The doctors performed an endoscopy, and found the larvae of the parasite attached to an area of swollen and inflamed gut lining. They used a 'net' to remove the larvae and the man's symptoms immediately stopped.
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Don't worry too much, the doctors were keen to emphasise that most cases of anisakiasis have so far been reported in Japan. However: "It has been increasingly recognised in Western countries."
Maybe it's time to stick to veggie sushi?
Featured Image Credit: PA ImagesTopics: Gross