Screening of fish and shrimp-based pastes for the presence of parasites: An analysis of pastes from Myanmar

Abstract

A literature search of the aquatic species used to make fish and pastes revealed only one parasite, the zoonotic nematode Gnathostoma spinigerum, had been previously recorded in Myanmar. This is a species that infects several freshwater fish species; man can be infected when fish infected by this nematode are eaten raw or the fish is improperly cooked. A parasite screening study of 41 fish and shrimp paste samples sourced from Myanmar found potential parasite species in ten of the pastes. This study highlights that much of fish parasite fauna of Myanmar is unknown and requires establishing. The study also calls particular attention to the importance of cooking fish and shrimp pastes before consumption to ensure the parasite life-cycle stages are killed, and also the need for further study to identify to species level parasites in aquatic products that are of concern for human health.