Our newspaper reported last year that a female nurse fell ill after eating loaches raw, as she believed the propaganda from "health master" Ma Yue-ling who claimed that eating loaches raw could cure diseases. Similarly, there are also people who like to eat raw fish and shrimp, causing serious health problems.
Mr. Jiang Lai-sheng, 46 years old, was lying in bed No. 2 of ward nine at Xiangya Hospital receiving an intravenous drip. His body was completely yellow, with a tube inserted into his nose, making him look 64 years old. "Judging by the symptoms, it looks very much like liver cancer, but through testing, we discovered liver fluke eggs," said Professor Hu Guo-huang from the Department of General Surgery at Xiangya Hospital this morning. This is the second case he has seen in two weeks where eating raw fish slices resulted in hospitalization due to parasitic infections in the intrahepatic bile ducts.
"My father started eating raw fish slices for the first time about ten years ago when he went to my aunt's house as a guest. Since her family runs a restaurant, my uncle prepared raw fish slices to entertain the guests," said Ms. Jiang, daughter of Mr. Jiang Lai-sheng. She told reporters that her father usually eats little, and generally only gets to eat raw fish slices during New Year festivals or when visiting her aunt's house. Initially, the family did not know that Mr. Jiang's hospitalization was related to eating raw fish slices.
Mr. Li, aged 55, is a chef from Yongzhou Qiyang and also likes to eat raw fish slices. He has enjoyed this delicacy for seven or eight years and prefers to add some mustard when eating raw fish slices. The same examination method used on Mr. Li revealed fresh liver fluke eggs in Mr. Jiang's bile duct.
Professor Hu Guo-huang stated that upon admission, Mr. Jiang's bilirubin level was 40 times higher than normal, which is why he appeared so yellow.
Clarification
Why is eating raw fish and shrimp more likely to cause illness?
Professor Hu Guo-huang explained that raw fish slices taste delicious and contain abundant nutrition. However, if disinfection is not strict enough, raw fish slices may carry various fish-borne parasites such as Clonorchis sinensis. Infection with Clonorchis sinensis can lead to liver cell necrosis, inducing cirrhosis and even liver cancer. Professor Hu Guo-huang reminds people to avoid eating raw or semi-cooked fish, shrimp, snails, crabs, frogs, snakes, or undercooked pork, beef, mutton, chicken, duck, rabbit, and other meats. Do not drink unboiled water, do not eat unclean raw vegetables, and do not use utensils that have held raw aquatic products or raw meat to serve cooked food.
■ Reporter Zhang Chun-xiang, Correspondents Yan Hui-ping, He Bin