In article , tenchman
wrote:
The mystery of the reduction of Atlantic Salmon stocks appears to be
resolved this week.

For many years anglers have been blaming drift netting, yet with the netters
under a strict quota system stocks are still diminishing during the main
part of the season. The real reason is a worm Anasakis simplex which is
killing most of the stock before it reaches Ireland

Hmmm. It may contribute but I doubt it's the whole story.

The rivers in Ireland are now awash with fresh run fish held up in the tidal
sections awaiting substantial rains to allow them up river to spawn.

Unfortunately this will prove to be a major disaster this year as these fish
are being eaten alive by a parasitic worm Anasakis simplex . These fish are
spreading this worm to all those other fish in the river and will eventually
destroy the species.

No, the parasite must mature in a marine mammal and the eggs first infect a
crustacean. If a seal takes an infected fish and stays around the estaury
then infected shrimps might pose a problem for the next season's smolts.

Fish that are infected with the worm are not safe to eat as there is no

....are not safe to eat -raw-. The frying pan kills it quickly and it can't
stand deep freezing for very long. Sushi, otoh, is a bad idea.

known medicine that will kill this worm in humans, the only treatment is
surgical removal, however this worm can only live for about 4 (painful)
weeks in humans and can leave permanent damage.

Anglers are advised not to handle these fish without protective clothing as
eggs are discharged from the fish during handling and could enter the body
through open wounds etc.

Where did that idea come from? -If- the stage III larvae could produce eggs
they would still need to go through a stage infecting an invertebrate first.
It might just be possible for a larva to infect a human through a wound if
the hands were kept wet among raw fish for a long periaod - this -might- be
a problem for professional fishmongers but for most of us it's closer to an
impossible dream.

The first cases have been reported on the River Blackwater (Lismore) in the
last ten days and have been confirmed by the Marine Institute.

Further information on this worm can be found here.
http://www.usc.es/~banim/doc/tppanisa.htm

Cheerio,

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