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Posts Tagged ‘Anisakis’

The parasite of fish
Most Spanish we learned of the existence of Anisakis in the Christmas of 2006 when the Cabinet approved a Royal Decree to protect consumers, and the Ministry of Health launched a prevention campaign to publicize the risks of this parasite, which is found only in fish. Allergic reactions and gastrointestinal disturbances are the consequences of this infection; the incidence begins to grow in our country.

The new culinary trends in the consumption of raw or undercooked fish are becoming increasingly common, and the depletion of traditional fishing grounds, which have forced to venture into remote areas where the parasite is more prevalent, make it imperative that the catering sector and individual consumers have clear home three basic tips to prevent anisakiasis: clean fish as soon as possible, properly cooked, because heat kills the larvae, and freeze it in case of will be consumed raw or undercooked at a temperature below -20 ° C for at least a day.

you just have to spend a few hours for the symptoms of this infection to manifest. It usually appears abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. The larvae, which typically measure up to 2 cm, it may even cough up. If they pass into the intestine, the response may occur to one or two weeks later and causes symptoms similar to Crohn’s disease.

Sensitive people may suffer severe anaphylactic reactions after eating fish infected with Anisakis and the reaction can be confused with an allergy to shellfish, as anisakid are hard to find in a test. In addition, this parasite often causes a reaction in tests for other allergens. In most cases, treatment is symptomatic of this infection because the parasite, by its own life cycle, cannot survive in humans and eventually die.

95% of cases of anisakiasis patients are recorded in Japan by the high consumption of sushi or sashimi. In Spain, the incidence begins to grow and Spanish health authorities themselves acknowledge that cases are now detected for years no infections were diagnosed as Anisakis. That was the ‘ordeal’ of Maria Del Carmen Jimenez; 40 years ago began to suffer terrible allergic reactions in so far as to lose consciousness. “The attacks lasted about 72 hours when they become dehydrated by the amount of water from the nose,” he recalls.

His case became a mystery for experts and on a pilgrimage from hospital to hospital, where doctors gave up again and again after exhausting all kinds of tests. The frequency with which Maria Del Carmen had to travel to Madrid to follow the evidence had finally forced to set up residence there. “This disease has been the shadow of life” for over 20 years, the time used to pass by the best Spanish allergists, both public health and the private, finally unable to recognize not only relieve your symptoms but to diagnose his illness.

“It was a very rare case,” he admits, “and I did all kinds of tests, some of which is best forgotten.” Fondly remembers Dr. Bartholomew, your doctor the Clinical Hospital of Madrid, who has followed his journey and carrying the results of each specialist to whom he went. And so year after year in which even Maria Del Carmen went to Lourdes. “My husband did not believe in those things, but we were at a point where he had to try everything,” he admits.

After 25 years of unknowns, the impotence of the specialists that the case of Maria Del Carmen passed through the hands of the leading allergists in our country, the solution found in Japan. The year was 1993, when in Spain there was no evidence to diagnose fish allergy and Anisakis was a real unknown. Its history traveled from the Clinical Hospital of Madrid to Japan, and on his return brought him so many times they had expected, a diagnosis: anisakiasis.

It has been 15 years since then and Maria Del Carmen only eats frozen hake, even dares to freeze the fish at home. His three sons and one of his grandchildren also are allergic to Anisakis, although both have been conditioned to like her life. “My illness was the destruction of my house,” he admits. Of course, he recalls with a smile that always said in those days, “after all I’m going in my youth, I eventually will become a grandmother ye-ye.” And he has done.