WHAT SUSHI LOVERS NEED TO KNOW

Important news if you’re a sushi or sashimi eater, which I am. I eat loads of sashimi. The authors of an article in the journal BMJ Case Reports cite the case of a man in Portugal who was admitted to hospital with fever, abdominal pain and vomiting. Doctors diagnosed the problem after he told them he had recently eaten sushi. They also cite a Spanish study that found there had been 25 cases of the condition between 1999 and 2002 – those patients had all eaten raw anchovies.

Consumers planning to make raw fish dishes are advised to freeze the fish for at least four days first, to ensure parasites are killed. So doctors need to be more aware of the raw fish medical problem – parasitic infections from raw or lightly cooked fish. Although cases are mainly seen in Japan, patients in Europe are now presenting with anisakiasis, a disease caused by parasitic nematodes (worms) burrowing into the stomach wall or intestine. Ugh!