Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/05/15
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>As far as I'm concerned, it's TODAY'S bait. Parasitologists tend to pass on >raw wild-caught food. As Jeffrey knows, I am also parasitologist.? I am also risk-averse, but with seafood, the overwhelming risk is always from bacterial contamination.? The only significant fish-borne parasites are the broad tapeworm of fish and Anasakis simplex (links below) and both are comparatively rare and entirely treatable.? There are a few hundred cases in japan a year, out of several billion raw fish meals consumed.? That's good odds.? Take a look at your local health department website and find what the rate of bacterial food poisoning is in any city in the developed world and you'll see what the real risk is. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=mmed.section.4713 http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/172/3/329 If you don't like sushi, well, you don't like it, but if you do, parasites are no reason to get altogether too paranoid about eating it. I ate sushi and sashimi by the bucketload in Japan earlier this year and make it at home frequently, from a range of farmed and wild-caught fish. Getting in your car is much riskier. I wonder how many people die in car crashes in Ontario, where new laws require any fish that is to be served raw to undergo a compulsory period of freezing (really looking after their population, that local government). Of course, if you're talking raw bear meat, or some of the other things I've been offered in my travels, forget it. The risk posed by Trichinella (a nematode that, among other things, encysts in muscle in human cases and is not really easily treated) and other parasites that are prevalent in terrestrial animals throughout much of the world is real. In a few countries (including New Zealand and Australia) many of these critters are absent. I'm not saying everyone should eat sushi, I'm just saying that irrational fear of parasites is unjustified. I have some Leica photos of sushi that I will post tonight, to try to keep this on topic. Later, Marty -- ___________________________________________________ Play 100s of games for FREE! http://games.mail.com/