here is what was found. “You Won’t Believe It”

In this article we will talk about one of the most loved and consumed canned foods by all Italians: tuna. Admittedly, this choice is dictated by the fact that it is a practical and above all quick-to-eat product, but despite this, we must not forget that it is still a product packaged for which it is easy for bacteria to grow (not being, for the ‘in fact, fresh). Anisaki is one of the most common bacteria that can grow in canned tuna.

Before going into the background of anisakis from the point of view of the symptoms it can cause in our organism, it is important to give you some general information, in order to better understand what it is. The large family of anisakis is made up of particular small parasitic worms, generally present in the intestines of marine mammals, for example in dolphins and seals. Moreover, this worm in the larval stage can also be found in many fish, such as salmon, tuna, anchovies, cod but also mackerel, in which it is also very widespread. If, on the other hand, we want to have a complete table in figures, we estimate that it is found in 85% of herrings and 70% of cods.

The life cycle of this parasitic worm is very complex and manages to involve many living beings. Its eggs, in fact, easily manage to spread in the sea, thanks to the excrement of marine mammals and, after which, in the larval stage, they are ingested by shrimps and smaller squids that cannot be defined as predators. , because in turn they will then be preyed upon by other larger fish. If we happened to ingest a contaminated fish, the larvae, once they reached our digestive system, would attach themselves to the walls of the organs, using their mouthparts.

To survive, the larvae defend themselves from the gastric juices of the stomach by puncturing the walls and mucous membranes deeply, thus damaging, in a very short time, the entire area surrounding the point where they attach with the mouth. A peculiarity is that they manage to detach and attach themselves several times, thus causing many injuries; sometimes it even manages to damage the liver, spleen, pancreas and blood vessels. Anisakis parasitosis occurs a few hours after ingestion of the bacterium with symptoms such as: nausea, severe abdominal pain and vomiting, but in the most severe cases, fever, diarrhea and ulceration may also occur.