Between 2007 and 2017, Brazil registered 99,826 outbreaks of foodborne diseases and 0.84% of those were associated with fish meat intake. It is estimated that approximately 56 million infection cases occur worldwide due to raw or undercooked fish meat containing several disease-causing parasites. Hence, this study aimed to review the literature concerning diseases caused by ingestion of contaminated fish meat. Reviews, case reports and epidemiologic studies were searched in Portuguese, Spanish and English in the databases LILACS, Pubmed, Science Direct, SciElo and Scholar Google using as keywords: transmissive diseases, contaminated fish and human infections were used to retrieve papers from 2014 to 2020. Nine papers, including seven reviews, one case report and one case-control study fulfilled inclusion criteria and presented several consequences of contaminated raw or undercooked fish meat ingestion, which ranged from nemathode, bacterial and toxin diseases that may cause gastrointestinal problems to allergic reactions, lung infection, endemic acute myalgia, bacteremia, meningitis and death. Growing fish meat intake in several dishes presents significant health risk due to the pathogenic potential of toxins and parasites that remain when food is consumed raw or undercooked. Tighter sanitary surveillance, population health education, training and sensitization of health professionals in recognizing and notifying cases might contribute to minimize risk.
Fish is one of the healthiest food sources once it has proteins, vitamins, minerals and the omega-3 polyunsaturated lipids. Nevertheless, to be healthy, the protein in fish meat must not have contaminants further than allowed. This study aimed to investigate the preclinical toxicologic effects of consumption of fish meat from Cachoeira river (Joinville, Santa Catarina, Brazil). Groups of rats were divided and received for a month: standard ration, farmed fish meat and fish meat from Cachoeira river twice a week. One day after the last exposition, animals were euthanized and blood, spleen, heart, liver, kidney, cerebellum, and cerebral cortex were collected to measure oxidative stress, biochemical and hematological parameters. Metals levels were also analyzed in fish meat by atomic emission spectrometry. Significant elevation of carbonylated proteins were observed in heart and liver and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in liver, plasma and cerebellum were observed. Total sulfhydryl content decreased significantly in cerebellum, liver and heart, and decreased catalase activity in the liver and superoxide dismutase activity in the kidneys were also present among rats who consumed fish meat from Cachoeira river. No modification of hematological parameters was observed, and only significant decrease of HDL occurred among biochemical parameters. Analysis of metals in river fish meat showed a fivefold increase in zinc and aluminum compared to farmed fish meat. Short-term exposure to fish meat from the Cachoeira River resulted in increased oxidative stress, liable to be transferred through the food chain, possibly associated with the increased presence of heavy metals.
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