Asian Tapeworm

[bigugli]

December 23rd, 2008

Jeff Alexander / Muskegon Chronicle

MUSKEGON -- An outbreak of tapeworms among Lake Huron walleye has Michigan officials urging people to avoid eating sushi made with freshwater fish caught in the Great Lakes region.

The warning came as a Canadian researcher reported the first documented case of Asian fish tapeworms in Great Lakes fish.

David Marcogliese, a research scientist at Environment Canada's research station in Montreal, reported the discovery of Asian tapeworms in Lake Huron walleye in the most recent issue of the Journal of Great Lakes Research. The foreign tapeworm, the 186th invasive species documented in the Great Lakes, likely ``was imported to the region with infected bait fish,'' Marcogliese stated in the article.

``This parasite is known to cause weight loss, anemia and mortality in young fish,'' Marcogliese said.

Numerous anglers began reporting finding tapeworms in walleye caught in Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay, according to a Michigan Department of Natural Resources memo. Fish from some inland Michigan lakes also were infected with tapeworms, according to the DNR memo.

Some species of tapeworms are native to the Great Lakes fish. The discovery and proliferation of Asian fish tapeworms is a recent phenomenon that could harm walleye and other fish species, according to DNR officials and Marcogliese's research.

Researchers indicated the Asian fish tapeworm, one of the world's most pernicious invaders, will likely spread across the Great Lakes region. The tapeworm can grow to one-foot-long in large fish, such as carp, Marcogliese said.

DNR officials said it is safe to eat fish that have tapeworms, provided the fish are thoroughly cooked, smoked or pickled using normal food preparation techniques.

``We do not recommend making sushi from any species of freshwater fish as the risk to humans is not known,'' according to the DNR memo. ``It is a very bad idea to eat any freshwater fish raw or poorly cooked as fish parasites use fish-eating mammals and birds as hosts and it is not known if humans can also be hosts.''

Tapeworms are ubiquitous in waters where fish live, but the incidence of the parasites infecting fish has surged in the past two years, according to DNR officials. State officials said the problem may be due to changes at the base of the Great Lakes food chain caused by zebra and quagga mussels, two other invasive species.

[smerchly]

This doesn't sound very appetizing Bruce.......yechhhh ......Nothing was said where the worm would be located......like in the flesh or intestinal tract . The little white worm we see in perch & bass etc. doesn't bother me much ....just flick them out with the tip of the knife , but if I see any abnormality with the entrails , I ditch the fish . I guess we will see many more invasive species , both land & sea invading our country with the massive trade we do with the world........

[Guest BOWED-UP]

Thanxs for the insight. I love smelt but forwhatever reason they got swaremed with black lice (?). I stopped eating them- great for ice fishing for pike. Don't eat any other fresh fish except walleys and perch. That really sucks. A good way of looking at it is it will promote catch and release.

[AwolRJ]

"Will promote catch and release"

That's all fine and dandy, you release them and the tape worm kills them. My walleye fish fries hardly hurt the fishery, when there are netters bringing in tons to the supermarkets. I don't eat sushi, cats or dogs!

[hammercarp]

Smerchly

Tape worms are found in the guts of the fish. Inside the stomach or intestines. I have seen them( not the asian type) in both walleye and pike.

Boy it's got to make you wonder though. How many other nasty invaders are out there, that they have not even found yet.