Tapeworms in Salmon

No fish farms that I know about, this fish was caught outside of Prince Rupert. When you touched them they were quite hard, last time I saw it it was swimming the other way.
 
quote:Originally posted by papg5860

No fish farms that I know about, this fish was caught outside of Prince Rupert. When you touched them they were quite hard, last time I saw it it was swimming the other way.
No redness or sores? Just bumps? Well, still could be sea lice if it was a returning adult coming back into the coastal area - and caught at the front edge of some islands where it is believed that normal sea lice transfer happens (at the end of or after the juveniles have left, maybe late June to early July). I take it the runs of chinook had just passed?
 
quote:Originally posted by papg5860

I caught a coho salmon last year and the outside had bumps all over it, there must have been over 100 of them about 1/8th inch in dia. Any ideas?

Those are skin cysts and very rarely make it to or though the fat layer.... hos are notorious for them doesnt affect the meat at all, they are not the same as the white spots in the meat where sox an hos seem to be the most affected an seen it a few times in springs..... well over a million pounds in the last half dozen years.....
Will make ya think twice bout getting salmon in a restraunt... not too much of that stuff is spoiled.... unless its really bad.
Like Wolf says once its cooked you'd never know
 
There are several types of worms in salmon, one of which is a tape worm. They are relatively common and cause no harm when fish is cooked. When I guided I used to come across worms in approx 5% of the fish. Google US FDA requirements for salmon used for sushi, you will see they must be frozen below -20 deg C for several days to kill worms.
 
FDA is -20 C for 24 hours
 
No need to toss out a perfectly good fish just because you see a couple worms, most cod and halibut have some worms in them, especially lings. Just cut your meat thinly and hold it up to the light(called candling) you will be able to see the worms and cut them out. Just make sure that you cook your fish through if you are worried about it. All cod sold in stores is candled and there is a certain percentage of worms allowed. Just like there is a certain amount of puss allowed in milk and certain amount of mouse pieces in wheat nothing to worry about:D
 
government and sushi chefs may say AOK but it is still crab bait to me
 
quote:Originally posted by LastChance
Anyone know how you'd tell if you picked something up from raw fish? As in making sushi on the boat right after you catch one?

There's only a few parasites of fish (that we know of) that are a concern (mostly tapeworms) to humans, as fish are ectotherms (i.e. cold-blooded), while humans, bears, and marine mammals are not.

The parasites that also use a mammal as a secondary host (look back over the past few postings - they are in there) - would be considered a problem, and the most risky for us humans to interact with. Most parasites are also easily treated with todays medical science, if one does get infected.

Having said that - who likes to get infected? So, don't put any strange stuff (pustules, worms, etc) from gutting fish near where you might eat it raw, accidentally. Wash your hands, too.

As mentioned in a previous posting - the broad tapeworm, Diphyllobothrium spp., which can be found in fish - occasionally infects people.

There are usually no initial symptoms. Tapeworm infection is usually recognized when the infected person passes segments of tapeworms (called proglottids) in the stool. When symptoms are present, the most common symptoms are; hunger, dizziness, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and weight loss. These symptoms usually show much later after the initial infection - as the number of parasites multiply. Great topic for everyone, eh?

Sushi is raw meat, right? Not intestines and faecal matter (where you would expect to find tapeworms) - if processed and cleaned properly. So, you wouldn't expect sushi to be much risk.

Maybe someone else has more info to pass on here?
 
Concerned Angler: "the tapeworm Diphyllobothrium species MAY be a problem, but rarely in salmon". Some new info for you and everyone below from http://www.cdc.gov/NCIDOD/EID/13/1/169.htm

Volume 13, Number 1–January 2007
Commentary
Salmon Aquaculture and Transmission of the Fish Tapeworm

Felipe C. Cabello* Comments to Author
*New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA

...until recently, few examples have been reported of pathogens that could be transmitted to humans directly by the products and subproducts of salmon aquaculture. I discuss here information indicating that salmon aquaculture may be involved in expanding the range of fish tapeworm infections in nature and to humans.

Several recent publications report outbreaks of human cases of infection by the fish tapeworm Diphyllobothrium latum in Brazil (5–9). These infections have been epidemiologically linked to consumption of raw salmon produced by the aquaculture industry in southern Chile, thousands of miles away (5–9). Infections by D. latum have been detected in several cities in Brazil (5–9), and in a tourist who traveled there from Europe (10). These cases of diphyllobothriasis are noteworthy because this parasite was totally unknown to clinicians and parasitologists in Brazil, where it does not appear to have an endemic life cycle (5–9)....

...The link that closes the epidemiologic chain between the Brazilian outbreak of fish tapeworm infections and the aquaculture of salmon in southern Chile is that some of the freshwater lakes where D. latum and D. dendriticum are endemic are used to grow the freshwater stages of juvenile salmon, or smolt, in cages...

...This epidemiologic event may also be understood as a cautionary tale and an additional example of the dangers entailed by the globalization of food supply and of the rapidly changing global eating habits that facilitate the distribution of human and animal pathogens worldwide. The expansion of diphyllobothriasis-endemic areas in Chile may, in turn, facilitate the appearance of future outbreaks of this disease as the aquaculture industry expands to these new infested areas and the market for Chilean salmon enlarges worldwide. ...
 
quote:Originally posted by LastChance

quote:Originally posted by Lipripper

FDA is -20 C for 24 hours

Anyone know how you'd tell if you picked something up from raw fish? As in making sushi on the boat right after you catch one?

I did find 1 more potential parasitic infection to be aware of wrt eating raw fish - Anisakiasis, or herringworm disease (from A. marina - a nemetode).

It was first identified in 1966, and the life cycle of A. marina is not completely known.

Clinical diagnosis: colicky abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and fever. Occasionally, pain may be so severe as to mimic peritonitis or appendicitis and lead to surgical intervention. May cause ulceration, abscess, eosinophilic granuloma, or intestinal perforation. These symptoms may be mistaken for Crohn’s disease. Occasionally, the patient will present vomiting worms.

There is no proven therapy for anisakiasis. Anisakiasis can be prevented with proper handling of fish. Fish should be cooked for at least 10 minutes at 60°C or frozen to –20°C for 60 hours.

Hopefully, I have only had any impact on eaters of raw fish. Cleaned right and cooked or frozen first - it's darn good for you - still, even with all these postings...
 
Wow, I'm glad I brought this subject up. I sure reminds me a lot of grade 11 Biology. We studied all sorts of worm lifecycles; pork tapeworm, guinea worm, hookworms, and even swimmers itch. Thank you to all who replied.
 
Several years ago I caught two chinook in two days at the Pt.Defiance area in Tacoma Washington area. The intestines in the two fish were full of tapeworms. I consumed both fish and they were fine. I suffered no ill effects. I've been fortunate enough to catch quite a few fish since then and I have yet to see any more of those worms.
 
I've been told (and I cannot confirm this) that tape worms, although blind, are attracted to light. So, if you think you may have been 'impregnated' by tape worms, a sure fire diagnosis is as follows.

1. get under the sheets.
2. lay on your back.
3. Bring your knees up to your chest
4. Have a really</u> good friend shine a really bright flashlight on your very exposed rectum.
5. Push
6. Ask your friend what he/she saw.
7. If your friend ran away, catch him/her and ask what he/she saw!:D
 
Another one that we were told in Bio 11 is that you can starve yourself for a couple of days and then put some food just in your mouth and swallow the saliva. Aparrently the tapeworm will actually crawl up your throat to find the source of the nutrients. My teacher said they actually did this to get the tapeworms out.
 
note to self: stop reading this damn thread before breakfast.....[xx(][xx(][xx(]
 
I'm amazed at how popular this thread is, and how many hits it gets. Kinda like watching a car wreck or a horror movie - it's disgusting and creepy - but somehow you can't turn away...

More to add about self-cleansing.

Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is a popular and readily-available herbal remedy found at most herbal shops. You make a tea from it - three cups of the tea daily (with sweetener - it's bitter) on an empty stomach. It gets rid of intestinal worms. There are a few side-effects, and it shouldn't be used on a long-term basis. Look it up...
 
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