PARASITES OF FISH AND RISKS TO PUBLIC-HEALTH

A multitude of parasites have been reported in fish, but only a few sp ecies are capable of infecting humans, The most important of the helmi nths acquired by humans from fish are the anisakid nematodes (particul arly Anisakis simplex and Pseudoterranova decipiens), cestodes of the genus Diphyllobothrium and digenetic trematodes of the families Hetero phyidae, Opisthorchiidae and Nanophyetidae. Seafood-associated infecti ons by acanthocephalans are rarely reported in humans. All of the helm inths mentioned above are associated with social-cultural and behaviou ral factors, in particular the consumption of raw or undercooked seafo od. Measures can be taken during harvesting, processing or post-proces sing (e.g., by the consumer) to mitigate the risks of infection. The s eafood industry and government authorities can apply various programme s to reduce these risks, including good manufacturing practices (GMPs) and hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) systems. Such measures may include avoiding particular harvest areas, sizes of fish, or even particular species of fish. The method of capture, handling a nd storage of the catch can directly affect the quality of the seafood with regard to the presence and numbers of parasites. The extent of p rocessing - including heading and gutting, candling and trimming - and the type of product derived (fresh, frozen, salted or pickled) can al l contribute to the control of the risks posed by helminths. The most effective means of killing the parasites are either freezing or heat i nactivation.