Anisakis infection and allergy in humans

Abstract

Compared with other well-studied parasitic diseases, fish-borne parasitic zoonoses do not get enough attention, especially because these zoonoses have been limited for the most part to populations living in low- and middle-income countries in Europe. Human fishery product-borne parasitic diseases caused by nematodes are the results of infection following ingestion of viable parasites, or as allergic reactions against parasite antigens. With the globalization of the seafood industry, the risk of humans acquiring anisakiasis in developed countries appears to be underestimated. For allergy, the only implicated parasite in fishery products is the nematode Anisakis simplex.