page_title: Anisakis
section_title: Allergic reactions
hierarchical_section_title: Anisakis / Health implications / Allergic reactions
caption_attribution_description: Photo anisakiasis Parasitic Worm Image:Anisakids.jpg
context_page_description: Anisakis is a genus of parasitic nematodes that have lifecycles involving fish and marine mammals. They are infective to humans and cause anisakiasis. People who produce immunoglobulin E in response to this parasite may subsequently have an allergic reaction, including anaphylaxis, after eating fish infected with Anisakis species.
context_section_description: Even when the fish is thoroughly cooked, Anisakis larvae pose a health risk to humans. Anisakids (and related species such as the sealworm, Pseudoterranova species, and the codworm Hysterothylacium aduncum) release a number of biochemicals into the surrounding tissues when they infect a fish. They are also often consumed whole, accidentally, inside a fillet of fish.
  Acute allergic manifestations, such as urticaria and anaphylaxis, may occur with or without accompanying gastrointestinal symptoms. The frequency of allergic symptoms in connection with fish ingestion has led to the concept of gastroallergic anisakiasis, an acute IgE-mediated generalized reaction. Occupational allergy, including asthma, conjunctivitis, and contact dermatitis, has been observed in fish processing workers.
  Sensitivization and allergy are determined by skin-prick test and detection of specific antibodies against Anisakis. Hypersensitivity is indicated by a rapid rise in levels of IgE in the first several days following consumption of infected fish. A 2018 review of cases in France has shown that allergic cases were more commonly found, although the number of human Anisakis infections was decreasing.
caption: Anisakid larvae in the body cavity of a herring (Clupea harengus)
exif: {"Image XResolution": "100", "Image YResolution": "100", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "GIMP 2.10.4", "Image DateTime": "2018:10:05 11:10:07"}