If you’re as insane about sushi as I am, maybe this story will make you think twice about eating some tasty raw salmon. More likely than not, though, if you really are that insane, you won’t care. A gentleman in Chicago recently sued a restaurant for serving him tapeworm-infested salmon after he found out that the 9-foot-long parasite was growing inside him. (gross!)
So, there seems to be a new worm in town and his name is Diphyllobothrium nihonkaiense or more affectionately known as the salmon tapeworm. And, he’s rapidly infesting yuppies with a hankering for sashimi and ceviche. This parasite which can grow in the human GI tract and reach up to 39 feet in length, started popping up in North America in 2006, but has been a growing problem in Japan for years.
So how do you avoid this problem, but still enjoy some salmon? These tapeworms live in fish muscle and die when the fish is cooked. It’s probably best to eat fully cooked salmon. And, if you have a sashimi craving, go for the tuna!
Seems like I’ll be avoiding salmon sashimi for a while!