Officials have published a document highlighting ways to avoid the risks from foodborne parasites transmitted by pork, freshwater fish and crustaceans.
Foodborne parasitic diseases are often neglected in food safety control systems even though they can cause severe human health problems, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
One challenge is that affected animals might not show signs of disease, making it difficult for farmers and authorities to detect a problem. Also, if there are no production or financial losses associated with the parasite in animals, there is no incentive to control them.
The FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific publication reports different types of parasitic diseases can be transmitted to humans from pork, fish, freshwater crustaceans, vegetables, eggs of tapeworms, and protozoa.
Preventing human exposure to foodborne parasites can be the responsibility of a veterinary or food safety authority in some countries, while in others, there are no controls for parasites.
Parasites from plants and meat
Fascioliasis is caused by two species of flatworms called Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica. It is acquired by eating raw plants such as watercress and other freshwater cultivated or wild plants, or by drinking contaminated water. It is mainly an animal disease but does occasionally affect people.
Young parasites can cause abdominal pain, fever and diarrhea. Once they reach the lungs, symptoms can include a chronic productive cough, chest pain, and sometimes fever. Signs can be similar to those of tuberculosis or lung cancer. Humans can be treated for adult flukes with triclabendazole.
Eating raw aquatic vegetable harvested from or near grazing lands should be avoided. Rinsing them is not enough and freezing is not recommended, according to the FAO. The parasite can be killed by cooking vegetables at 60 degrees C (140 degrees F) for several minutes. continue
