Abstract
Anisakiasis, caused mostly by Anisakis spp., is a globally emerging seafood-borne zoonotic disease, which remains largely underdiagnosed. The marine mammals are the natural hosts of Anisakis spp. Accidental human infection occurs on consumption of undercooked fish or squid containing L3 larvae of the family Anisakidae. The family Anisakidae comprises various genera such as Anisakis, Pseudoterranova, Contracaecum, Hysterothylacium and Porrocaecum. Nearly, 97% of all infections are caused by Anisakis spp. and only 3% of infections are caused by other genera. Gastric, intestinal, ectopic and gastro-allergic anisakiasis are various manifestations of the infection in humans caused by Anisakis spp. depending on the site of the infection caused by the larva. Diagnosis of the condition is achieved by endoscopic examination or identification of larvae on histopathological examination. Skin prick test and abdominal imaging are the other tests that supplement the diagnosis of anisakiasis. Treatment is based on either endoscopic removal of the larvae or therapy with anthelmintic drugs.
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Further Readings
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Case Study
Case Study
A 27-year-old Japanese man presents to the emergency in the midnight with acute-onset intense upper abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. He is also having intense itching over the entire body and also complaints of respiratory distress. He gives a history of eating sushi at a friend’s party about 5 h ago. The doctors suspect anisakiasis, and endoscopy is done, which reveals a hyperaemic ulcerative lesion in the stomach fundus region with small larvae attached to the lesion. The larvae are removed, and subsequently, patient’s condition improves. The larvae removed are about 3 cm long and based on their morphological examination are identified as L3 larvae of A. simplex sensu stricto.
Questions
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What is the importance of endoscopy in Anisakis infection?
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What precautions are needed to prevent Anisakis infection?
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What are the important parasites associated with seafood consumption?
Research Questions
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Is there any relationship between genetic predisposition and allergic reactions in anisakiasis?
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What is the role of Anisakis in gastric and colon cancer?
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Can the development of allergen-specific therapy be helpful in anisakiasis?
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Tak, V. (2022). Anisakiasis. In: Parija, S.C., Chaudhury, A. (eds) Textbook of Parasitic Zoonoses. Microbial Zoonoses. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-7204-0_50
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-7204-0_50
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