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Parasites: Questions and Answers This fact sheet has been prepared in response to questions regarding parasites in fish. Like all living creatures fish very occasionally maybe hosts to parasites. It is important to recognize that: (1) The occasional presence or parasites in fish (2) Fish are inspected closely to prevent those with parasites from reaching the market! (3) Although certain parasites may be found in fish, cooking or freezing of fish renders them totally harmless. Public health concerns may arise when people eat raw, under cooked or lightly preserved fish, such as sashimi or ceviche. If fish is to be consumed in such a fashion, and there is concern over possible parasite presence, it is recommended practice to hard freeze first. Following are some of the most commonly asked questions about parasites. 1. Do fish have parasites? Fish, like all living organisms, occasionally will carry various parasites. A scientific term for them is helminth. Modern science and technology have drastically reduced - but not eliminated - the helminths that occur in domesticated food animals and in people. Fish, of course, are wild animals, and there is little or no control over their environment. This makes it difficult to avoid totally an occasional encounter with naturally occurring helminths in fish. The most commonly observed helminths in marine food dishes are called nematodes. Nematodes are common parasites of animals; others are found in plants. Even more common are the microscopic, free-living nematodes that occur in soil everywhere. 2. How do helminths get into fish? Helminths are carried in the food chain, with marine mammals, such as seals, being prime hosts. Fish pick up helminths when they eat small crustaceans that have themselves previously eaten eggs or larvae that have teen passed from the marine mammals. 3. Will parasites hurt me if I accidentally eat one? Because nematodes are easily destroyed by normal processing and cooking procedures, they very rarely cause health problems. The situation is similar to occasional presence of trichina nematodes in pork which are killed by normal cooking. Even if ingested live, such as could occur if one eats raw fish. these nematodes do not find people to be suitable hosts and thus do not live long in human digestive tracts. 4. How long do you have to cook fish to kill parasites? Cooking fish to an internal temperature of 140 degrees F (66 degrees C)will kill all nematodes or helminths. This temperature is reached during normal cooking procedures. 5. How about raw and lightly marinated recipes? Are they safe? Consumption of raw fish, just as consumption of raw neat, poses a slightly greater risk than when the products are cooked. To minimize the risk, consumers should not eat raw or lightly marinated seafood unless the fish is free of parasite larvae or has been adequately frozen to ensure that any parasites present are destroyed. While only a very small percentage of fish are infected with larvae, they may be present but hard to detect. In countries where raw fish dishes are traditional, it's a common practice to freeze the fish before preparation. Researchers indicate that complete freezing at O to -16 degrees for 48 hours is very effective, but they caution that large fish take more time than small fish to reach that temperature perhaps 4 to 5 days in freezers. Commercially frozen fish are frozen at even colder temperatures (i.e., -31 degrees F) and are essentially free of parasites. 6. Are fish processors concerned about removing parasites from fish fillets before they sell them? Fish that are likely to carry parasites are thoroughly inspected by fish procession to prevent fillets carrying parasites from reaching the market. Parasites are unlikely to be a serious health problem. Consumers may very rarely encounter parasites in fish, much as with some other types of food (fruit, vegetables, meat) despite industry efforts to monitor and remove them. Even when present, parasites do not present a health concern when fish are adequately cooked or frozen to destroy them. Consumer should: Cook all fish until it flakes and loses its translucent (raw) appearance (to an internal temperature of 140 degrees F (60 degrees C) is recommended). Use only frozen marine fish for raw and marinated fish dishes. Freezing to 0 degrees F center temperature (-18 degrees C) for 4 or 5 days may be required in home freezers.