Will you get liver fluke disease after eating delicious sashimi?

As people's living standards improve and their diets diversify, freshwater fish sashimi is increasingly being served on people's tables. In some places, sashimi has become a beautiful business card to attract tourists. Is freshwater fish sashimi safe? Will you get sick after eating sashimi? Let's learn about the risks of sashimi diseases and how to prevent them.

01

Freshwater fish sashimi

What diseases can it cause?

Freshwater fish, whether they grow in ponds, reservoirs, lakes or rivers, whether they are wild or farmed, may be infected with Clonorchis sinensis. Clonorchis sinensis not only infects humans, but also mammals such as cats, dogs and pigs. Humans or animals who eat raw or undercooked freshwater fish or shrimp containing Clonorchis sinensis metacercariae may be infected with liver fluke disease.

Liver fluke disease is a zoonosis caused by Clonorchis sinensis parasitizing the hepatobiliary system of humans or animals. After infection, symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, malnutrition, fatigue, dull pain in the liver area, and hepatomegaly may occur. It may also be complicated by cholecystitis, cholangitis, and bile duct obstruction. In the late stage, cirrhosis and ascites may occur. It may also cause bile duct epithelial cell hyperplasia and canceration, leading to bile duct cancer, which seriously endangers human health. Although not all freshwater fish are infected with liver flukes, the more times you eat sashimi, the higher the risk of infection.

02

Liver Fluke and Fish

What's the connection?

Liver fluke disease is mainly prevalent in China, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, northern Vietnam and parts of Russia, of which 85% of the infected people are distributed in my country. Liver fluke disease is prevalent in more than 20 provinces in my country, including Guangdong, Guangxi, Heilongjiang and Jilin, due to the local eating habits of eating raw freshwater fish.

03

How is the liver diagnosed?

What about trematodes?

After developing into adults in the human body, liver flukes lay eggs that are excreted through feces. Therefore, diagnosis can be made by checking feces for liver fluke eggs. Even if there are no symptoms, if there is a history of eating raw or half-cooked freshwater fish or shrimp, and a history of working, living or traveling in endemic areas, you can go to a medical institution for examination. In addition, serum tests and B-ultrasound examinations are used clinically for auxiliary diagnosis.

04

How to stay away

Liver fluke disease?

(I) Change bad eating habits and improve disease prevention awareness. Food should be cooked thoroughly. Do not eat raw fish or raw shrimp, especially freshwater fish or shrimp. Note that drinking alcohol, adding garlic, mustard, etc. cannot kill the cysticercus in fish. Kitchen utensils such as knives, chopping blocks, and containers should be separated for raw and cooked food. Wash your hands after washing or catching fish to prevent diseases from entering the body through the mouth.

(II) Strengthen the management of the hosts around you. In areas where liver fluke disease is prevalent, do not feed dogs and cats with raw fish scales, fish viscera, fish gills, etc.; raw water used to wash fish should not be used to feed pigs or other domestic animals. Store fish food properly to prevent it from being eaten by rodents.

(III) Manage excrement and improve environmental sanitation. It is forbidden to build toilets on or near fish ponds. Pigs should be kept in pens, and pig pens should not be directly connected to fish ponds to prevent sewage from polluting the ponds.

(IV) Those who have a history of travel or residence in epidemic areas and a history of eating raw or undercooked fish or shrimp should pay attention to the screening and diagnosis and treatment of suspected symptoms.

Source: China Centers for Disease Control and Prevention