Alberta man gets intestinal worms from eating store-bought raw salmon

An Alberta man has become the first known Canadian case of getting intestinal worms from eating store-bought raw fish.

The 50-year-old man went to the emergency room in August of 2014 with severe abdominal pain and frequent vomiting, according to an article published in the Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology.

All of his tests came back normal, but upon inserting a camera down the man’s throat, they found this:

Image: Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology

The team plucked up two of the worms using endoscopy forceps and sent them off to a lab for identification. Turns out they’re anisakid worms, which are often transferred through the consumption of sushi, sashimi, ceviche, lomilomi, or raw squid dishes.

The Edmonton Journal reports the fish the man bought was from a Canadian Superstore in Calgary.

Alberta Health Services has a number of strict recommendations when it comes to the handling and consumption of raw fish. Fish must be stored at a temperature of -20 degrees celsius for a week prior to eating, or -35 degrees for 15 hours prior.

The medical journal says to expect more of these types of cases in years to come with the growing consumption of sushi and sashimi globally.