Saltpeter fish: can it be eaten and what is the danger to humans

• October 23, 2018
• Miscellaneous
• Elena Gnilitskaya

Fish dishes are an integral part of the human diet. However, not all of it is equally useful. Saltpeter fish can cause infection with a parasite that is dangerous to human health. How to recognize infected fish? Is it possible to eat saltpeter fish? What prevention methods should you follow to avoid infection with the parasite?

What it is

Saltpeter is a fish that is infected with the tapeworm parasite. This is a tapeworm that lives in the insides of fish and is quite capable of infecting humans. The main sources of human infection are: beef and pork meat, saltpeter fish.

Affected fish are most often found in natural freshwater bodies of water. Infection occurs through wastewater flowing into the reservoir, excrement of birds and animals. The fish, along with its food, swallows the parasite larvae that are in the water. The peak of the disease occurs in late spring and summer, but in other periods there is a chance to catch infected fish. A photo of saltpeter fish is presented below.

Be careful tapeworm

19.12.10 12:48

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More and more often, fish infected with a parasite, tapeworm, or its other name, tapeworm, are appearing in water bodies.
Those who are not familiar with this may have several questions related to this. We will try to answer the most relevant ones. A tapeworm is a parasitic tapeworm that, while still a larva, enters the intestines of a living organism, lives and parasitizes there, feeding mainly on blood. Some individuals can penetrate the tissues and organs of the abdominal cavity. Externally, the tapeworm is an elongated ribbon-like body up to 20-40 cm long and 0.5-1.5 cm wide; there are small suckers on the head, with which they cling to the intestinal walls and take away most of the nutrients from the host. In addition, as the worms increase in size, they put pressure on the internal organs, which leads to their atrophy.

What types of fish are susceptible to this disease?

Most often, white fish are susceptible to this disease, especially bream and roach, as well as pike. The intermediate host of the tapeworm is Cyclops (small crustaceans); the final host is waterbirds.

How to recognize infected fish?

The first sign of tapeworm fish is a swollen, compacted abdomen. When you press it, the tapeworm may come out. Infected fish stop feeding and float on the surface of the water. The greatest risk of catching infected fish occurs in late spring and summer, when the larvae enter a warm body of water. If you catch fish and are immediately able to recognize signs of the disease, you should inform the owner of the reservoir. Under no circumstances should such fish be put back into the body of water in which you caught it.

Is it possible to eat tapeworm fish?

The tapeworm is primarily a parasite that harms not only the carrier fish, but also humans. Even if you remove the long worm along with its entrails, the larvae may be in the meat or other places out of sight. And the size of the larvae is too small to recognize them as a real threat.

How to cook this fish?

If you still decide not to throw away your catch, then try to at least reduce the risk of helminth infection. Before cooking, the fish must be thoroughly gutted and washed. It is best to immediately cut it into fillets. Such fish certainly needs long hot processing. Portion pieces should be made small, or minced fish should be prepared from the fillet. Salting and drying solitaire fish is not recommended. Another way to disinfect fish is freezing. Cleaned and washed fish with running water is placed in the freezer for at least 10 hours. As a result of sub-zero heat treatment, tapeworm larvae die.

Description of the parasite

The tapeworm is a long, white flatworm. It can reach up to 25 cm in length and 20 mm in width. The worm has suckers on its body, which attach it to the abdominal cavity. The tapeworm is capable of fully recovering from even a small piece of its body. It enters the fish’s body in the form of a small larva, and then grows, sticking to the circulatory system. As it develops, it seriously deforms vital organs. The spleen, liver and genitals begin to atrophy. The body becomes intoxicated and metabolism is severely disrupted.

For tapeworm, fish is an intermediate host. Its ultimate target is birds that eat contaminated fish. The worm is a hermaphrodite. In the body of the final host, a bird, it lays larvae, which end up in the reservoir along with excrement. The fish accidentally swallows the larva.

The worm develops in the animal's abdominal cavity, feeding on nutrients. Another bird catches and eats the infected fish. Thus, the tapeworm enters the body of the final host. Afterwards the cycle is repeated over and over again. Infection quickly covers almost all inhabitants of the reservoir. For prevention, all sick fish are caught, and the carrier birds are shot.

Life cycle of tapeworm

The life cycle of a helminth consists of several stages.

1. The worm enters the environment through feces released by mammals infected with it. The eggs of the parasite are capable of maintaining vital activity outside the host’s body for a month. During this time, they must enter the body of a further host or die.
2. The eggs in the pond release larvae that serve as food for crustaceans. They are the intermediate carriers.
3. When a fish eats an infected crustacean, it becomes a new host. The worm parasitizes in her abdominal cavity, gradually developing to a new larval stage.
4. The main carrier of the parasite is a person who has eaten infected fish. Also, the final carrier can be an animal, for example, a cat or dog. The tapeworm penetrates the intestine, attaches to its walls and develops into a sexually mature individual, which will then actively reproduce.

An adult can retain its vital functions in the human body for 20 years. Only a worm in fish can cause human infection, and larvae in water do not pose a danger.

How to recognize infected fish

What does saltpeter fish look like? It develops worse than its uninfected counterparts. He eats poorly, grows slowly, and therefore lags behind in size and looks worse. In the final stages, the fish swims at the surface of the water, sometimes floating upside down.

Why does saltpeter fish float on the surface? This is due to the fact that the tapeworm compresses the swim bladder, making the fish unable to stay deep under water. Infected fish become more vulnerable to the final hosts of the parasite - birds. If while fishing you see a large number of fish that do not sink to the bottom, but swim near the surface, there is a high probability that the entire school is infected with parasites.

Saltpeter bream bites poorly, and it offers virtually no resistance after being caught. An unpleasant odor can be felt in an infected body of water.

The belly of the caught fish appears swollen. In some cases, if you press lightly on it, you can see the head of the tapeworm emerge from under the skin. Opening the belly, you can find a long, light-colored parasite. Infection of fish with larvae can only be recognized using a microscope.

Which fish is dangerous?

The saltpeter worm in fish is most often found in fresh water bodies, but sometimes it is also found in sea fish with white meat. The parasite was found in 47 species of fish. It is most often found in carp species. However, there are fish that are not at risk of infection: peled, pike perch and whitefish. This fish can be consumed without fear.

River fish must be subjected to heat treatment. Even if a worm is not found in the abdomen, larvae invisible to the human eye can infect muscle fibers. You can eat raw fish grown in special fish farms where helminth control is carried out, as well as sea fish with red meat.

Health Hazard

Humans are also susceptible to tapeworm infection. It occurs after ingesting fish meat that has not undergone heat treatment. First, the parasite larvae penetrate the stomach and then the intestines. The helminth attaches itself to the walls of the small intestine, where it can spend about 20 years. The tapeworm carries male and female cells, which means it is capable of reproduction. An adult tapeworm can release a huge number of larvae into the body.

Tapeworm infection can lead to the following complications:

• diphyllobothriasis, which can lead to intestinal blockage;
• necrosis and death of tissue at the site of attachment of the worm;
• anemia;
• allergic reaction;
• problems with the central nervous system;
• oncological diseases.

Helminth development

Tapeworms in fish can reach a length of up to 25 cm and cause serious illness. The body consists of segments, which, after maturation, separate and are capable of independent existence. A special feature is that the worm is capable of producing male and female reproductive cells at the same time. They are attached to the walls of the internal organs using suction cups, which are located on the front of the body.

The broad tapeworm can lay up to several thousand eggs per day. The lifespan of each individual can reach 20 years.

The fish tapeworm goes through several stages in its development.

1. Fish become infected with larvae by eating cyclops, crustaceans, snails and other small inhabitants of water bodies.
2. Fish infected with larvae are caught and eaten by waterfowl.
3. Further development of the larvae occurs in the body of the birds, and they, along with feces, again enter the water.
4. Particles of feces are again swallowed by small inhabitants of the reservoir, on which freshwater fish feed, and are again infected with tapeworm. But at this stage, larvae form, which can become dangerous to humans.

Most often, fish with white meat, such as bream, roach, pike, and sop, are susceptible to tapeworm. As the tapeworm grows, all the internal organs of the fish are compressed. The swim bladder contracts, swimming function is impaired, so the fish floats to the surface and can remain belly up for a long time.

Symptoms of human infection

In the first stages of tapeworm infection, a person may not feel any changes in his body. Tapeworm, unlike other helminths, has less effect on well-being, and therefore its presence in the body can go unnoticed for a long time. Mild symptoms of illness may be mistaken for another disease. Since the worm settles in the intestines, a person may experience problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

The main symptoms of tapeworm infection:

• loose stools or constipation that occurred suddenly and for no reason;
• increased salivation;
• dizziness;
• sudden weight loss;
• intestinal obstruction;
• irritability;
• a feeling that something is moving inside (it is not the parasite itself that is moving, but the muscles contracting under its influence);
• anemia;
• weakness and apathy;
• decreased appetite or, conversely, constant hunger;
• small red wounds appear on the tongue;
• gagging and nausea.

In some countries, tapeworm is specially introduced into the human body so that it helps quickly and effectively lose weight. Afterwards the parasite is removed. You should not do this intentionally, because helminth infection can lead to very serious health consequences.

Treatment of parasitic infestation

Many patients who think that they are infected with parasites and that something is moving inside them are mistaken. Very often this condition is a consequence of a psychosomatic disorder. Therefore, for an accurate diagnosis, you must consult a doctor and not self-medicate.

Usually people go to the hospital when the infection has already reached its worst stage. Intestinal obstruction has begun, and parts of the worm are found in the stool. A special analysis helps to detect the parasite at an early stage.

Since the tapeworm is a hermaphrodite that is capable of fertilizing itself, it begins to actively reproduce inside the human body. In a day, it can lay up to a million larvae, which usually exit the body along with waste products. The parasite regenerates well; to get rid of the worm, you need to completely remove it from the body. Even the smallest particle left in the intestines can cause re-infection.

Only inpatient treatment can help. It lasts approximately 10 days. Special poisons are introduced into the body that should kill the tapeworm. The drug is taken for three days in a row. After a short break, there will be another dose of medication. At the same time, it is worth getting tested for concomitant diseases so as not to aggravate them during treatment for the parasite.

Surgery is prescribed only if intestinal obstruction occurs due to several large worms.

Treatment for the disease

When fighting tapeworm, the doctor prescribes an individual course of treatment.
The method and course of treatment depend on the degree of the disease and the amount of fish worm in the human body. To remove a small number of parasites, various medicinal tablets are used. If the worm is located in a hard-to-reach place, then surgical intervention is necessary. How to get rid of tapeworm with medication? First of all, the doctor prescribes adsorbents that remove various infections from the intestines. In addition, special anthelmintic tablets are prescribed. The main drugs for removing tapeworm from the human body are:

• Trichlorsal;
• Helminth 920;
• Gelmodol-VM;
• Sanoxal;
• Albendazole;
• Fenasal.

As a result of treatment, it is important to observe how the worm leaves the human body. This is done in order to help the person, because if the parasite dies inside the intestines and does not come out, this will lead to severe poisoning

If the tapeworm in a person is not cured with medication, then the patient is prescribed a surgical operation to remove it. For postoperative recovery, the patient is prescribed drugs to enhance immunity, a vitamin complex is prescribed, and anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed. Traditional medicine can be used as a supplement.

Is it possible to eat contaminated fish?

So is it possible to eat saltpeter bream? It can be eaten, but to do this you must adhere to the following rules:

• saltpeter bream must be thoroughly cleaned of entrails; it is advisable to eat fillet;
• it is worth cutting the meat into small pieces that are well fried;
• The fish should be fried at a temperature of 55-60 degrees until fully cooked;
• fish can be frozen at a temperature of -18 degrees for 1-3 days;
• fish can be salted, but it must spend at least two weeks in salt.

However, it is worth remembering that even eating well-cooked fish leaves a small risk of infection. Parasite eggs can get on your hands, clothes and kitchen utensils. So it is better to avoid eating obviously sick fish.

Precautionary measures

Not in all cases it is possible to determine whether a fish is infected with tapeworm.

But the risk can be minimized if you listen to some advice and act with caution and prudence:

• Before purchasing fish, it is advisable to inspect it thoroughly visually. Its density and swelling should alert you.
• Even if it makes the work easier, it is not recommended to buy gutted fish. This makes it impossible to understand whether there was a worm in it.
• It is better to give preference to fish caught in an artificial reservoir. There she is mainly fed dry food, which minimizes the risk of her becoming infected with this terrible worm.
• Fish in which tapeworm was found during gutting should be disposed of immediately.
• Under no circumstances should you feed contaminated meat or fish to animals.
• It is imperative to wash with a saline or soda solution, then treat with vinegar all kitchen utensils that were used in processing the fish.
• It is not advisable to eat raw fish from the river.
• It is better not to purchase salted or dried fish if you are unsure of the quality and technology used to prepare and store it.
• To cook meat, you need to spend at least 30 minutes. Fry fish by thoroughly frying it on all sides. Each side of the fillet should be cooked over low heat for at least 20 minutes.
• Freezing fish will help avoid possible infection. It must be in the freezer for at least 48 hours.
• Salted fish should be kept in a salt solution for at least 2 weeks. But this cannot always save you from infection because the death of eggs, larvae and the parasite itself requires heat treatment or low sub-zero temperatures.
• Fish with obvious signs of the presence of worms in it is not suitable for hot, much less cold smoking.
• You should not choose places for fishing with a suspicious reputation or those where it is prohibited to do so.

Only a healthy and adequate approach to this issue will help avoid infection with this dangerous parasite.

Smoked and dried fish

Infection through dried fish is possible. An adult tapeworm usually dies when dried, but the eggs can remain viable for a long time. Smoked fish can also be dangerous if the cooking technology is not followed. If the fish has not been subjected to sufficient heat treatment, the risk of infection is very high. Tapeworm can also be found in everyone's favorite herring.

You should only buy fish from trusted sellers. It needs to be thoroughly examined. If you suspect that the fish is infected, you should refuse to purchase.

At what temperature does tapeworm die in fish?

Eliminating an adult from a carcass is not difficult. It is somewhat more difficult to destroy worm eggs, but if heat treatment standards are observed, this is quite possible to achieve. The tapeworm in fish dies if you fry or boil the meat at 55 degrees. In addition, it is known that the parasite cannot tolerate low temperatures. Thus, worms in fish die if the product is frozen for 10 hours or more. It is important to note that with prolonged exposure to low temperatures, the risk of infection is practically reduced to zero, which cannot be said with certainty about heat treatment.

Is it possible to swim in a contaminated pond?

The period when fish are infected with tapeworm occurs in the summer, when people begin to go out to water bodies to swim. You can only become infected with tapeworm through the meat of diseased fish, so don’t be afraid to swim in the water. Although it is worth remembering that polluted water bodies are dangerous not only from fish helminths. Other parasites may well develop in insufficiently clean water. Therefore, you should be careful when choosing a vacation spot.

Prevention of infection

Sometimes saltpeter fish are difficult to identify. Therefore, to reduce the risk of infection with the parasite, you should adhere to the following preventive measures:

1. It is worth giving preference to whole fish rather than cut ones. Often sellers clean and cut low-quality fish that is unfit for consumption.
2. The belly of the fish must be checked. It should not be swollen.
3. It is worth eating fish that is grown in specialized reservoirs. At fish farms, she is fed with special food, which minimizes the risk of infection with parasites.
4. Infected fish must be discarded.
5. You should not feed animals saltpeter fish, otherwise they may become infected.
6. All kitchen utensils that have come into contact with contaminated fish must be disinfected immediately.
7. Only sea fish can be eaten raw. River fish must undergo heat treatment.
8. The parasite may die if the fish is frozen first. The product must be kept in the freezer for at least two days at a temperature of -18 degrees.
9. If you catch an infected fish while fishing, do not throw it back into the water, otherwise the disease will continue to spread. The fish should be buried in the ground.

Thus, we looked at how to identify saltpeter fish. Tapeworm is a helminth that infects fish and is transmitted to humans. Worm infestation can lead to serious health consequences. Saltpeter fish can be eaten with proper temperature treatment, but it is better not to take risks. Treatment for parasitic infection occurs in a hospital and lasts 10 days. If you do not go to the hospital in time, serious complications are possible, which can result in death.

How to cook properly

If a helminth is discovered when cutting fish, it should be carefully pulled out so that fragments do not remain in the product. Having removed the entire worm, do not forget that the larvae and eggs can continue to exist in other cavities of the fish’s body and cause infection in humans. To prevent this from happening, familiarize yourself with the basic principles of cooking it:

• Cooking. Before cooking, infected fish should be soaked for several hours in a solution with salt. It should be cooked for at least half an hour to ensure complete death of the helminth larvae.
• Frying. It is recommended to fry the product for at least 15 minutes. It is best to cook fish by cutting it into small pieces - some of the larvae may remain in large portions. You can also grind it with a meat grinder or blender and make minced fish.

Smoking. This is one way to avoid the possibility of helminthic infestation. It is best to choose a hot processing method or baking over an open fire.

Purchased smoked fish is not guaranteed to be completely free of parasite larvae, so you should be careful when purchasing the product or preparing it yourself. Drying. This process can destroy adult individuals, but is not able to eliminate parasite eggs.

Before purchasing a finished product, you should carefully inspect it for the presence of swollen body fragments. Freezing. The presence of tapeworm in purchased fish does not mean that the product should necessarily be thrown away. You can try to cook it correctly, following the rules of proper heat treatment.

After removing the parasite from the internal organs, it is recommended to freeze the aquatic inhabitant, leaving it in the freezer for 2-3 days. Using deep freezing, you can get rid of individuals living in muscle tissue. To do this, remove the entrails from the belly, wash the fish with running water, cut it into small pieces and send it to the cold at a temperature of -18°C.

Products weighing up to one kilogram are frozen for 10 hours or more, larger ones for 24 hours. For complete safety, you should deep freeze the fish and leave it in the freezer for three days, at a temperature of at least -20°C. The product should not be eaten raw. Only prolonged heat treatment guarantees the death of parasites.

When preparing dried fish at home, wash it thoroughly, take out the insides, and soak it in a bowl of salt. After this, hang it to dry.