A recent survey by the Ministry of Health on the status of major human parasitic diseases nationwide shows that food-borne parasitic diseases in China are on a clear upward trend. Meanwhile, with the diversification of people's diets, the consumption of "fish raw" and Japanese cuisine has become increasingly prevalent, leading to a continuous rise in the infection rate of food-borne parasites. Among them, the five most common are clonorchiasis, gnathostomiasis, paragonimiasis, angiostrongyliasis, and taeniasis.
Frequent consumption of raw fish slices can lead to liver cirrhosis
Regularly consuming raw slices of freshwater fish, fish congee, or boiled fish slices can easily lead to clonorchiasis. A considerable number of people believe that drinking more high-proof liquor and adding more condiments like vinegar, wasabi, garlic, and ginger when eating raw fish slices or drunken shrimp can kill the parasites. This is a major misconception. It is very difficult to kill these parasites through methods such as salting, pickling with wine or soy sauce, or curing.
Eating river crabs and crayfish, be aware of paragonimiasis
Paragonimus flukes mainly parasitize in the human lungs and can move within the body. Patients with this disease may experience mild symptoms such as cough, chest pain, bloody sputum, and difficulty breathing. If the spinal cord is invaded, it can cause paraplegia. Invasion of the pericardium can lead to pericarditis. Entry into the human brain can cause neurological symptoms such as epilepsy. In addition, in some parts of China, it is popular to eat drunken crabs or salt-pickled crabs. This method of preparation cannot kill the larvae in the crabs. Simply marinating in yellow wine or baijiu is not sufficient; they must be thoroughly cooked at high temperatures.
Eating undercooked bullfrogs can lead to epilepsy
The reason people get infected with parasites from eating bullfrogs is mainly because some restaurants do not heat the bullfrogs for the right amount of time or at the right temperature, which may fail to kill the larvae of *Spirometra erinacei* parasitizing within them.
*Spirometra erinacei* larvae can invade the human body through the skin or digestive tract. If they invade the eyes, symptoms such as eyelid redness and swelling, photophobia, tearing, blurred vision, and even blindness can occur. *Spirometra erinacei* larvae can also invade the central nervous system, causing sparganosis of the brain, leading to headaches, epilepsy, and other symptoms.
Eating raw beef can lead to infection with *Taenia saginata*
Experts note that *Taenia saginata* is a relatively common parasite in humans, mainly because people eat beef containing the larvae of *Taenia saginata*. If the larvae in the beef are not killed during cooking and a person consumes it, the larvae will gradually grow in the human small intestine and develop into an adult *Taenia saginata*, which can reach a length of 4-8 meters.
Eating river snails, be aware of angiostrongyliasis
*Angiostrongylus cantonensis* is mainly found in golden apple snails, land snails, and freshwater shrimp. Humans can easily become infected by eating raw or undercooked snails. Once infected with *Angiostrongylus cantonensis*, the larvae will travel within the human body, burrow into the brain, and the lesions will concentrate in the brain tissue. This includes not only the cerebrum and meninges but also the cerebellum, brainstem, and spinal cord. Mild clinical symptoms include headache, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. Severe cases can lead to shock, agitation, and even death.