A Man in China Who Ate Raw Fish for Three Years Now Has a Liver Infested With Parasites

A reminder to all raw food dieters: you can have too much of a good thing. It turns out that eating too much uncooked fish can severely affect your health, a lesson a man from China learned the hard way. After eating mostly raw fish for three years, he found out that his liver was infested with parasites.

The man, only identified by his surname Lin, discovered this after experiencing a recurring fever for 10 days in July, QZTV reported. After receiving medical attention, he was diagnosed with an infection from the Clonorchis sinesis parasite, also known as the Chinese liver fluke.

According to the United States’ Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), consuming raw or undercooked fish, crabs, or crayfish from various regions across Asia can cause these parasites to infect the liver, gallbladder, and bile duct.

“Untreated, infections may persist for up to 25–30 years, the lifespan of the parasite,” it warned.

There can often be no symptoms of infection. However, infections that last a long time can cause serious illness.

According to QZTV, Lin thought that dipping the raw fish in mustard before eating it would be enough to ensure its safety.

There are 15 million worldwide infected with parasite, of which 12 million are in China and 1 million Northern Vietnam, according to a journal published in April. The CDC recommends adequately freezing or cooking fish to kill parasites.

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