A harmful parasite has been found in freshwater game fish in Southern California.
Researchers at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institute of Oceanography say they found two types of parasitic flat worms, or trematodes, in more than 90% of the region’s freshwater fish.
“They're widespread, by the way, not just in California,” researcher Ryan Hechinger told KNX News’ Karen Adams. “They're in a lot of states.”
Hechinger said the parasites pose a health risk to people who eat raw fish, including gastrointestinal issues and, in extreme cases, strokes or heart attacks.
“When you eat that fish, you're eating the cysts and they just, you know, yippee ki yay, this is where we want to be,” he said. “And they come out and each one of those little cysts turns into a little worm that can live in your intestine.”
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If you fish in Southern California, freeze your catch for about a week if you plan to eat it raw to kill off the parasites.
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