In a shocking incident, a 2.8 metres (9ft 2in) long tapeworm was found in the stomach of a man who loved eating raw sushi. However, the man had shown no symptoms of any parasitic growth in his body.
ALSO READ: Including this type of protein in your diet is key to weight loss, scientists reveal
The doctors at the Singapore General Hospital's Department of Microbiology were shocked as they had to fold the tapeworm 18 times to make it fit into a photo, The Sun reported
"The patient was somewhat appalled when the worm was passed out via the rectum," said infectious diseases expert Hsu Li Yang.
Professor Yang revealed the details of the 2016 case to explain the issue of people eating raw or uncooked seafood and getting infected with parasites. He also stated that the 9-feet worm was a tapeworm as no other parasite can grow that long.
ALSO READ: Boost your sex drive naturally by including these in your diet
"The question is what tapeworm, which will also help answer how the patient had acquired the worm," The Sun quoted Professor Yang as saying.
Eating uncooked fish, pork or beef can cause the growth of tapeworm in humans. An egg of this 9ft tapeworm was analysed by microbiology experts and they found that it looked like those of fish tapeworm.
Tapeworm infection is caused if one eats uncooked or raw freshwater fish and also fish like salmon.
ALSO READ: Boost your brain health by avoiding these 7 foods
According to Professor Yang, there is a spike in the fish tapeworm infestation in Singapore like other developed countries that show an exponential growth in the consumption of raw fish. But he added that there is no recorded data about it and no symptoms are shown by many people who get infected with it.
Many people having tapeworm show no symptoms like abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhoea and weakness which are associated with it.
ALSO READ: This could improve men's performance in bed and make sex more enjoyable
Apart from the tapeworm threat, seafood also may carry other parasites like flukes and roundworm in them.
