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Fish parasites: A growing concern during pregnancy

Obstetrical and Gynecological Survey, ISSN: 1533-9866, Vol: 71, Issue: 4, Page: 253-259
2016
  • 15
    Citations
  • 0
    Usage
  • 128
    Captures
  • 0
    Mentions
  • 0
    Social Media
Metric Options:   Counts1 Year3 Year

Metrics Details

Article Description

Intestinal parasiticwormsaffectmore than 2 billion peopleworldwide according to theWorld Health Organization. Fish-borne parasitic infections are becoming more common with the increasing popularity of sushi, sashimi, Carpaccio, tartare, gefilte, and ceviche. The ingestion of these parasites can cause serve anemia, malabsorption, severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, strong allergic reactions, and gastric ulcers. Knowledge about fish parasites and pregnancy is limited. A literature search on PubMed and Web of Science used the search terms "fish parasites" OR "diphyllobothrium" OR "anisakiasis" OR "pseudoterranova" OR ("food borne parasites" AND "fish") AND "pregnancy" OR "maternal" OR "fetus" OR "fetal" OR "newborn" OR "neonatal" OR "childbirth." No limit was put on the number of years searched. Therewere 281 publications identified. The abstracts of all of these publications were read. After exclusion of the articles that were not relevant to pregnancy, pregnancy outcome, and fish parasites, there were 24 articles that became the basis of this review. The pathophysiology, alteredmaternal immunity related to the infection, limited information about fish-borne parasitic infections and pregnancy, and treatments are discussed. Themain impact of a fish-borne parasitic infection on pregnantwomen is anemia and altered immunity, which may increase the risk of a maternal infection. The primary fetal effects include intrauterine growth restriction and preterm delivery. Target Audience: Obstetricians and gynecologists, family physicians. Learning Objectives: After completing this activity, the learner should be better able to recognize the global impact of intestinal parasitic worm infections; identify the 3 fish-borne parasites that affect humans; understand the immunologic response of a pregnant patient to an invading parasite; summarize the current treatment for the fish parasites.

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