Sushi lovers face growing threat from parasitic worms

THE growing popularity of sushi could be fuelling a rise in deadly parasitic worm infections, doctors have warned.

Raw fish can carry tiny worms which burrow into the guts of humans if eaten, a condition known as anisakiasis, which can cause severe stomach pain, vomiting and fever.

In severe cases it can cause an anaphylactic reaction with the parasites triggering an erratic heartbeat and respiratory failure, which can be fatal.

Until recently, cases in Western countries were rare because most dietary fish is cooked, which kills the worms. But the rise of sushi has led to cases in hospitals across Europe.

In the latest incident a 32-year-old Portuguese man was left in agony for a week after eating raw slices of fish at a Japanese restaurant.

When doctors put an endoscope – a long tube with a camera – down his throat they found a mass of writhing white larvae burrowing into his gut lining. After the worms were cleared out using a special kind of retrieval net, the man’s symptoms quickly cleared up.

Writing in BMJ Case Reports, Dr Joana Carmo, a gastroenterologist at the Hospital of Egas Moniz in Lisbon, said: “Owing to changes in food habits, anisakiasis is a growing disease in Western countries, which should be suspected in patients with a history of ingestion of raw or uncooked fish.

“Patients can have allergic symptoms. Gastrointestinal symptoms include abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting and complications like digestive bleeding, bowel obstruction, perforation and peritonitis can also arise.”

Sushi has a reputation as a nutritious, low-calorie meal, but a previous study has suggested that eating it regularly could increase the risk of heart disease.

Recent research also found that eating a lot of sushi puts people in danger of exposure to dangerous levels of mercury, which can cause heart disease, problems with brain and nervous system development and decreased cognitive performance. u Supermarkets have resorted to selling “wonky” avocados as a surge in demand has led to shortages.

The price of avocados has risen £1.05, up from 98p last year due to flooding, drought and late harvests. Morrisons has now said it will sell misshapen or superficially blemished varieties of the fruit for 39p each.