If you’re eating freshwater fish in Southern California, you’ll want to take extra precautions since fish have become infected with parasites.
A study by the University of California, San Diego found that over 90% of game fish studied had been infected with a parasite.
What’s happening?
The study, published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, found “two species of [parasitic] flatworms called trematodes,” which typically cause weight loss, lethargy, or gastrointestinal problems when humans get infected. In rare cases, it can cause heart attacks or strokes.
Haplorchis pumilio and Centrocestus formosanus were the “two species of parasitic trematodes,” identified, per UC San Diego. These parasites are typically found in Southeast Asia, but it is likely that an aquatic invasive snail, known as the Malaysian trumpet snail or red-rimmed melania, brought them to the U.S. over 10 years ago…