Doctors warn of health risks associated with eating sushi as the popularity of the Japanese dish skyrockets in recent years.
While not all sushi is prepared with raw fish, those dishes that are could harbour tiny worms which can cause allergic reactions which in severe cases can result in death, reports The Telegraph.
According to a case study published in the BMJ tells the story of a man in Lisbon who went to hospital after suffering a fever and abdominal tenderness for several days. Doctors examined his gut with an endoscopic camera, revealing a parasitic worm had burrowed into the lining of his gut:
‘After a careful interview, he revealed that he recently ate sushi’ the authors wrote. The doctors were able to remove the parasite, which is reported to have fixed his symptoms immediately.
Parasites might not be the only risk imposed by eating sushi.
High levels of mercury have also been suspected to be present in the seafood used to prepare the meals, which can cause severe problems with the brain and nervous system. This is only a problem for people to regularly eat large amounts of sushi.
Still craving Japanese food? Just steer clear of the raw fish dishes.