Beware dear pickled fish neck and orange fish lovers,

A recent survey has been conducted in over 20 provinces in the northeast regions of Issan, which include Udon Thani, Sisaket Sakon Nakhon, Khon Kaen, Mukdahan, and others.

A variety of raw fish was collected from over 73 fish markets throughout North-East Thailand which included, White Fish, Carp, Krasat, Orange Fish, and other various freshwater fish.

So for those of you who like to eat pickled fish or raw orange fish, a favorite local delicacy in NE Thailand, you should be warned there is a high incidence of liver cancer in these areas.

It has been known for decades that people who live in NE Thailand have abnormally high levels of liver cancer compared to an average of less than 10% worldwide.

Only recently, doctors have been trying to educate locals in these areas, showing them different methods of fishing rather than catching koi plaa (smaller river fish) which is known to be infested with flukes.

It’s hard to change local eating habits when most are poor and live far from the sea. And despite the strong link between liver flukes and cancer, locals continue to serve their popular dishes raw with live red ants, lime juice, or whatever spices are available.

The video, shows a liver fluke collected from one of the 73 markets from 20 different provinces in NE Thailand. The video clip was taken by Asst. Prof. Dr. Nattaphat Kanratphitun, from the Parasitic Disease Research Center Medical school, Suranaree University of Technology..  Video clip location: Research Laboratory Asst. Prof. Dr. Rattanana Leksomboon Medical College Ubon Ratchathani University..

Scientist and lab techs from PDRC ศูนย์วิจัยโรคปรสิต สำนักวิชาแพทยศาสตร์ มหาวิทยาลัยเทคโนโลยีสุรนารี

One of the tests made was from two specimens of fish from Udon Thani which showed  9.1 %  of the parasite in pickled fish and  42.9 %  in the Orange Fish. The fish were then fed to hamsters which all died within 1 to 2 months.

Dr. Banchob Sripa at the Tropical Disease Research Laboratory in Khon Kaen University said, “We have been studying this link in our labs for over 30 years”, he said. “We found that the liver fluke can make a chemical that stimulates a host immune response – inflammation – and after many years, this becomes chronic inflammation, which then becomes cancer.”

His team found that in some communities up to 80% of people were infected by the fluke, some as young as four-years-old, but cancer rarely developed before people reached 50. Once it does, though, there is little hope for patients.

Methods Used to Eliminate the Liver Leaf parasite in white fish such as the tilapia necklace fish.

<> Heat with microwave oven (400 or 800 w) or boil at 90 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes.
<> Freezing at-20 degrees Celsius for 48 hours can kill the parasite at contact range
<> Freezing Orange fish at-20 degrees Celsius for 24 hours can kill the parasite at contact range.
<> Freezing Orange fish at 4 degrees Celsius for 24-48 hours will NOT kill the parasite at contact range.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/user/MorningNewsTV3

https://www.facebook.com/watch/PDRCSUT/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4510685

Written by: Halo Bule

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