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Parasites Found in Nearly All Fish from Recent Tuna Haul in Brazil
Confirmed
In Short: Scientists in Brazil discovered that almost all locally caught fish, including tuna, are infected with worms, raising concerns about food safety.
Scientists at the Federal University of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil analyzed 53 locally caught fish and found that nearly all were contaminated by worms, with the kidney and heart being the only organs free of parasites in every fish.
The study, published in Nature, suggests that the most abundant tuna species in Brazil, which is also the third most-captured marine species globally, commonly hosts two worm genera: Trypanorhyncha and Anisakis.
If consumed in raw or undercooked fish, these worms can latch onto the human intestinal wall and cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea, or diarrhea.
The prevalence of worm infections has increased, with researchers noting that they now find more than one worm in every single host caught, compared to less than one worm in every 100 fish previously.
This study, while small and covering only a single point in time, highlights the need for further research and food safety measures to address the growing concern of parasitic infections in fish.
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- In Wednesday’s issue of Nature, researchers describe a recently discovered star that is on an extremely eccentric orbit that takes it closer to Sgr A* than anything we’ve previously identified.
- When scientists at the Federal University of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil analyzed 53 locally caught fish, they found nearly all were contaminated by worms.
- Using powerful microscopy tools as aids, they found that the kidney and heart were the only organs free of parasites in every fish.
- The study from Brazil is small and covers only a single point in time, but it suggests that tuna in this region commonly host two worm genera: Trypanorhyncha and Anisakis.
- It is the most abundant tuna species in Brazil and, in 2022, the third most-captured marine species globally.
- That said, if eaten in raw or undercooked fish, some species can latch onto the human intestinal wall and cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea, or diarrhea.
- On average, they explained, we have gone from finding less than one worm in every 100 caught fish to more than one worm in every single host caught.