Bluegill parasites?

[bigearl]

Filleted a gill out of the blue lakes today that had these worms living in its flesh. There were small bumps inside the body cavity attached to the meat around the ribs. When I cut them open these worms came out. What are they? I couldn't eat the gill after seeing them of course, but was wondering if anyone knew what they are.
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[wiperhunter2]

All the fish that I have caught out there have them in them. They are a parasites like you said, if I remember correctly the fish are fine to eat. After I saw them the first time though, I decided not to keep the fish after that[unsure]. WH2
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[Fin-S-Fish]

ewwwwwwwww, that is naaaaasttty. Looks like some kinda of tapeworm. Be sure to gulp it down raw. You may lose weight without having to go to the gym.[][]
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[fsh4fun05]

If I don't have an answer to a question here on bft I will do some research. I learn a thing or two and might be able to share some info or just learn more about fishing in general. BUT the pics of those...BLAWU (dry heave) parasites is too much[shocked]. That's just nasty.
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[mactuna]

Over the years of fishing all over the world this is not uncommon to find parasites in fish. Just cook the fish and you will be all right. Halibut in Alaska have them and people love to eat Halibut.
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[bigearl]

none of the tilapia I caught had any just this one bluegill that we keeped. Fine to eat or not, once I saw those worms imbeded in the flesh eating it was more than I could handle![]
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[bassrods]

The bass and blue gill have them, but have not seen them in tilapia so only keep the tilapia and not the others...
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[wiperhunter2]

That is good to know. To tell you the truth, I have never caught any tilapia there, but it is good to know the parasites aren't in them. WH2
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[mactuna]

Tilipa fight pretty darn good.
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[wiperhunter2]

How big do tilipa get?
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[Saberfish]

[black][size 3]Are parasites Mother Nature's way of encouraging catch and release?[/size][/black]
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[size 3]I know that I don't want to become part of any parasite's maturation and reproduction process.[/size]
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[size 3]Ick!!!!![/size]
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[Wasatch801]

That pic could be on the poster....

"Catch 'n' Release... It's for the Worms!"

[sly]
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[mactuna]

May be a little over 2 lbs, have caught them in the Colorado near Blythe, in backwaters.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Average at Blue Lake is just over a pound, but there have been a couple over 5 pounds taken and bigger ones reported by divers.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There used to be quite a few over 6 pounds in Arizona.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]World record is just over 9 pounds.[/#0000ff]
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[tmas]

MACTUNA said it well about the halibut. It's true that any halibut over 20-30 pounds has white worms under the skin and throughout the meat. It's pretty nasty but millions of people eat halibut with worms in it. Just cook 'em good eh? Haha Sounds like some fun out there at Blue Lake!!
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[RyanCreek]

[reply]
Filleted a gill out of the blue lakes today that had these worms living in its flesh. There were small bumps inside the body cavity attached to the meat around the ribs. When I cut them open these worms came out. What are they? I couldn't eat the gill after seeing them of course, but was wondering if anyone knew what they are. [/reply]

[black][size 3]Ahhhh, biology.... My favorite! [cool]

My friend, those look like roundworms to me. Also sometimes called whipworms. I don't know what particular species these ones are, since there are more than 15,000 different kinds. 1/6th of the world's population is infected by them. Its the same type of worm that causes trichinosis that you can get from eating infected pork. I don't know what these ones would cause if you got infected, but also keep in mind that one female can lay hundreds of thousands of microscopic eggs per day that can easily be picked up. Most commonly they will infect the digestive tract causing nausea and weakness. They can also infect the cardiovascular system, which is the case in heartworms that dogs and cats get. Once roundworm infection is diagnosed, they are usually very easy to treat with certain medications, but there is the potential for more serious complications. This is especially true if they become encysted in the flesh like in the bluegill you caught.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Sorry. There are virtually no internal fish parasites that will live in human hosts and cause physical harm...especially if the fish is frozen or cooked. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It is more a matter of esthetics than a health issue unless you eat a lot of raw fish or shellfish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]They look nasty, but most gut parasites are removed in the cleaning process and the white grubs in the flesh are usually dead even before freezing or cooking.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Just extra protein in a world with food shortages.[/#0000ff]
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[reelfast]

[]Aw you ruined it TD. Think of all the catch and release over these worms. Would have left more big ones to catch again. If you pass a jug of milk around and the first taster says it tastes sour more than half the tasters will agree. Most folks don't know the details of what it takes to put a dinner in front of them. But either way its is all about survival. If your a parasite somone will under cook the fish and eat you........so you can eat them. Life goes on![shocked] ha!
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[RyanCreek]

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[cool][#0000ff]Sorry. There are virtually no internal fish parasites that will live in human hosts and cause physical harm...especially if the fish is frozen or cooked. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]It is more a matter of esthetics than a health issue unless you eat a lot of raw fish or shellfish.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]They look nasty, but most gut parasites are removed in the cleaning process and the white grubs in the flesh are usually dead even before freezing or cooking.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Just extra protein in a world with food shortages.[/#0000ff] [/reply]


There are over 50 known types of parasites that humans can catch from fish. It is true that cooking thoroughly will kill them, and somebody who handles fish properly isn't likely to contract them. In many cases, sure, they just look gross and we don't need to worry. However, don't underestimate them. Fish the world over infect people all the time. Most fish parasites use the fish as the primary most, but some parasites use fish as an intermediate host before being picked up by humans, which are then the primary host. And physical harm? Yes in some cases.


Roundworms: (the ones in question in the bluegill)
Anisakiasis is caused by anisakid roundworms. Humans are not the primary host for these parasites. Anisakid roundworms infest whales, seals, and dolphins; crabs then ingest roundworm eggs from the feces of these animals. In the crabs, the eggs hatch into larvae that can infect fish. The larvae enter the muscles of marine animals further up the food chain, including squid, mackerel, herring, cod, salmon, tuna, and halibut. Humans become accidental hosts when they eat raw or undercooked fish containing anisakid larvae. The larvae attach themselves to the tissues lining the stomach and intestine, and eventually die inside the inflamed tissue.
In humans, anisakiasis can produce a severe syndrome that affects the stomach and intestines, or a mild chronic disease that may last for weeks or years. In acute anisakiasis, symptoms begin within one to seven hours after the patient eats infected seafood. Patients are often violently sick, with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and severe abdominal pain that may resemble appendicitis. In chronic anisakiasis, the patient has milder forms of stomach or intestinal irritation that resemble stomach ulcers or irritable bowel syndrome. In some cases, the acute form of the disease is followed by chronic infestation.

Tapeworm:
Tapeworm infections pose a serious public health problem in many less developed countries due to poor sanitation conditions. The disease is most common where livestock, such as cattle and pigs, are raised in areas where human feces are not disposed of in a sanitary manner. Another common source of human tapeworms are certain species of freshwater fish. Tapeworm infections tend to occur more frequently in areas of the world where the people regularly eat raw or undercooked beef, pork, or fish. Persons of all ages and both sexes are susceptible to tapeworm infection, but children are generally not exposed until they are old enough to begin eating meat or fish.
Tapeworm infections in humans are less common in industrialized regions of the world, although German public health experts reported in 2003 that the rate of these infections is higher in Europe than the official statistics indicate. Travel to areas where tapeworm infections are more common and immigration of people from these areas serve as new sources of the parasite. Infected persons are often unaware of the presence of adult tapeworms in their intestinal tract, as they may have no obvious symptoms of infection. Some tapeworms can live in an infected person for over 10 years if diagnosis is not made and treatment is not administered.
In addition to the typical infection caused by eating undercooked meat or fish, people may also be directly infected by ingesting tapeworm eggs shed by the adult worm. This type of tapeworm infection can lead to a condition referred to as cysticercosis, in which the larvae continue to develop within tissues other than the intestinal tract. One of the most serious forms of this disease occurs when the tapeworm larvae infect the central nervous system, a disease referred to as neurocysticercosis. In contrast to a typical tapeworm infection, which may not be associated with symptoms, neurocysticercosis is a serious condition that may cause seizures and is potentially life-threatening.

Flukes:
Fluke infections are diseases of the digestive tract and other organ systems caused by several different species of parasitic flatworms (Trematodes) that have complex life cycles involving hosts other than human beings. Trematode comes from a Greek word that means having holes and refers to the external suckers that adult flukes use to draw nourishment from their hosts. Fluke infections are contracted by eating uncooked fish, plants, or animals from fluke-infected waters. Symptoms vary according to the type of fluke infection.
Description
In humans, fluke infections can be classified according to those diseases caused by liver flukes and those caused by lung flukes. Diseases caused by liver flukes include fascioliasis, opisthorchiasis, and clonorchiasis. Cases of liver fluke infection have been reported in Europe and the United States, as well as the Middle East, China, Japan, and Africa. Diseases caused by lung flukes include paragonimiasis. Paragonimiasis is a common infection in the Far East, Southeast Asia, Africa, Central and South America, Indonesia, and the Pacific Islands. It is estimated that between 40 million and 100 million people worldwide suffer from either liver or lung fluke infections.
In their adult stage, liver and lung flukes are symmetrical in shape, ranging between 1/4-1 in in length, and look somewhat like long, plump leaves or blades of grass. They enter through the mouth and can infect any person at any age.
Causes and symptoms
The symptoms of fluke infection differ somewhat according to the type of fluke involved. All forms of liver and lung fluke infection, however, have the following characteristics:
[ul] [li]most persons who get infected do not develop symptoms (asymptomatic)

[li]the early symptoms of an acute fluke infection are not unique to these diseases alone (nonspecific symptoms)

[li]infection does not confer immunity against re-infection by the same species or infection by other species of flukes

[li]infection is usually associated with eating uncooked fish, plants, or animals that live in fresh water[/li][/ul]
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[doggonefishin]

While there is no debate that threats exist worldwide from undercooked or improperly handled fish flesh, the parasites being discussed here are not in that category.

I agree with you that that the parasite shown is a nematode. I believe this species is called the "red worm". (Philometra cylindracea or closely related Philometra species) This link describes it further.

[url "http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364_10950-26965--,00.html"]http://www.michigan.gov/...0950-26965--,00.html[/url]

Please note the last paragraph. "t[font "Arial"]hese nematodes are incapable of infesting man, regardless of how objectionable a parasitized fish might be aesthetically. As with all parasites, thorough cooking kills this worm."[/font]
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[font "Arial"]We have periodically discussed another parasite on this board called the yellow grub that is commonly found at Jordanelle. This thread discusses it further.[/font]
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=250410;#250410"]http://www.bigfishtackle.com/...?post=250410;#250410[/url]

These parasites definitive hosts are aquatic birds and also do not pose a threat to human beings.
More on these.
[url "http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364_10950-26966--,00.html"]http://www.michigan.gov/...0950-26966--,00.html[/url]

[url "http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/library/Factsheets/Fisheries/Fish_health/Yellow_grub.pdf"]http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/...alth/Yellow_grub.pdf[/url]
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