WORMS FOUND IN LOCAL COSTCO SALMON; TAPEWORMS NOW FOUND IN ALASKAN AND PACIFIC FISH

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: U.S. Centers for Disease Control

August 26, 2017 (San Diego) – Live worms have been found in packages of salmon sold at multiple Costco stores in San Diego County, 10 News reports.  The report does not name the type of worm, however, CNN reports that Japanese tapeworms are now being found in wild Alaskan salmon and could be in salmon caught anywhere along the Pacific Coast.

Other types of fish can also carry tapeworms or different parasites, so health experts advise to eat only frozen or thoroughly cooked fish in order to destroy worms and larvae.   Tapeworms cause infection and sometimes serious problems if consumed by humans in raw fish such as Sushi, smoked or marinated fish such as in Ceviche, the College of Medical Physicians Canada warns.

Consumer raw or undercooked fish containing a tapeworm or other parasite may have no symptoms, though cramping, nausea, watery diarrhea and weight loss are common.  Less commonly, tapeworm consumption may result in severe impacts including intestinal blockage and painful inflammation of bile ducts.

If you discover segments of tapeworms floating in water with your stools when you use the bathroom, you should collect a sample and ask your doctor to send it to a lab for testing, since tapeworm infections are treated with specialized antibiotics that are tailored to the specific type of worm infestation.