Jun 3, 2025 06:43 PM
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1085887
INTRO: More than 90% of popular freshwater game fish in Southern California contained an introduced parasite capable of infecting humans, according to a new study from researchers at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
The parasites found in the study — two species of flatworms called trematodes — typically cause gastrointestinal problems, weight loss or lethargy when they infect humans. In some rare and severe cases, the parasites have caused strokes or heart attacks. The findings, published June 3 in the Journal of Infectious Diseases and funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), suggest that these parasites pose a previously unrecognized public health risk in the United States.
“Americans don’t usually think about parasites when they eat freshwater fish because it hasn’t historically been an issue here,” said Ryan Hechinger, an ecologist and parasitologist at Scripps and the study’s senior author. “But these trematodes have now been widely introduced in the U.S. and that means that doctors and the public should be aware.”
Hechinger emphasized that there is “no need to panic” as the risks posed by these parasites are easy to mitigate: Fully cooking fish or freezing any intended to be eaten raw for at least one week should kill the trematodes, per Food and Drug Administration guidelines. But a social media survey included in the study suggested that people in the U.S. are likely consuming freshwater fish without taking these precautions, which can dramatically increase the odds of infection... (MORE - details, no ads)
INTRO: More than 90% of popular freshwater game fish in Southern California contained an introduced parasite capable of infecting humans, according to a new study from researchers at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
The parasites found in the study — two species of flatworms called trematodes — typically cause gastrointestinal problems, weight loss or lethargy when they infect humans. In some rare and severe cases, the parasites have caused strokes or heart attacks. The findings, published June 3 in the Journal of Infectious Diseases and funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), suggest that these parasites pose a previously unrecognized public health risk in the United States.
“Americans don’t usually think about parasites when they eat freshwater fish because it hasn’t historically been an issue here,” said Ryan Hechinger, an ecologist and parasitologist at Scripps and the study’s senior author. “But these trematodes have now been widely introduced in the U.S. and that means that doctors and the public should be aware.”
Hechinger emphasized that there is “no need to panic” as the risks posed by these parasites are easy to mitigate: Fully cooking fish or freezing any intended to be eaten raw for at least one week should kill the trematodes, per Food and Drug Administration guidelines. But a social media survey included in the study suggested that people in the U.S. are likely consuming freshwater fish without taking these precautions, which can dramatically increase the odds of infection... (MORE - details, no ads)
