The Disturbing Reason You'll Want to Avoid Alaskan Salmon at All Costs
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released an official warning about the possible presence of Diphyllobothrium — otherwise known as a Japanese tapeworm — in Alaskan salmon. Oh, you were thinking about sushi tonight? You should probably skip the salmon sashimi.
While this tapeworm was believed to only affect fish in Asia, this new study proves otherwise. The summary of the CDC's report reads as follows.
"Diphyllobothriosis is reemerging because of global importation and increased popularity of eating raw fish. We detected Diphyllobothrium nihonkaiense plerocercoids in the musculature of wild pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) from Alaska, USA. Therefore, salmon from the American and Asian Pacific coasts and elsewhere pose potential dangers for persons who eat these fish raw."
This means that salmon you eat from anywhere in — or outside of — the US could potentially be contaminated. Why? "Because Pacific salmon are frequently exported unfrozen, on ice, plerocercoids (larvae) may survive transport and cause human infections," the study claims. If you're wondering about the symptoms of a tapeworm, the answer is a little tricky (those who get squeamish easily should click at their own risk).
According to a professor of preventive medicine named William Schaffner, who spoke to CNN about the study, "Most of the people who are infected don't have symptoms. Some feel a little bit of abdominal discomfort, some have nausea or loose stools, and some even lose a little weight." However, if it gets bad enough, you'll know. "The reason you know you have tapeworms is you look in your stool and you find bits of tapeworm floating in the water," he added.