Hold the Worms: Can Sushi Really Make Me Sick?

I love sushi. Not sure if it's really the taste, texture and wasabi that I get cravings for or the longing for the ritual of eating daintily with chopsticks off of cool, Asian pottery that makes me drool. But I do know this my sushi days may be over after I read a recent report that warns that eating raw or undercooked seafood--such as sushi and sashimi--increases my risk of infection by parasitic worm larvae.

Eew. I just lost my appetite for anything edible.

Of course there is always a risk getting sick when you eat anything raw--but I'm a little freaked out after hearing that there may be little worm eggs in my sushi that could cause severe stomach and intestinal problems such as diarrhea, cramping and vomiting--symptoms so bad that could land me in a hospital emergency room.

Raw or undercooked seafood can contain larvae of a parasitic worm called Anisakis (round worm). While the worm itself can't survive in humans, the larvae can attach to the tissues lining the stomach and intestines, resulting in severe abdominal symptoms, Japanese researchers said.

Here is a photo of raw grouper with the larvae:



Ok, so the researchers say that in most cases, the larvae eventually die, and the symptoms usually resolve on their own. But some people may experience small bowel obstruction.

If anisakiasis is in your stomach doctors can easily diagnose this by endoscopy, but it's much more difficult to diagnose if it's in your small intestine, according to the Japanese study.

It's important to note that Anisakiasis symptoms can mimic those of other digestive problems and may be misdiagnosed as appendicitis, stomach ulcers, or peritonitis, according to the researchers.

So should you avoid sushi? Well, that's up to you. The study didn't say not to eat sushi or sashimi--but as for me, it may not be anytime soon.

Source: Science Daily