European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 27, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                To your health parasite reports rekindle debate about raw fish new York times bout 10 years ago. Americans Bagan eating significant amounts of sushi. Ever since there have been nagging double about the Wisdom of consuming raw fish doubts intensified by occasional reports of fish parasites yet America s Lov Laflair Wilh sushi has continued unabated. It is of More than passing interest than that according to a sensationalized report on a German to program about widespread parasite infestation in North sea fish. According to the program which was broadcast this summer the infestation extended even to pickled herring purchased in a supermarket in the Wake of the report consumption of fish in West Germany dropped 50 to 80 percent. Prices plummeted by halt. Now nearly three months later prices Are almost Back to Normal consumption however is not. The bad news for Consumers both in inc United Stales and abroad is thai parasitic info Lalion of fish is not confined to the North sea. Fish worldwide Are infected and me number of parasites is increasing. Industry experts said the increase can be traced to a growing population of such sea mammals As seals which act As the parasites hosts. Parasites have always been there said Thomas l Deardorff a parasitology is Wilh the fishery research Branch of the . Food and drug administration but to changed our dietary habits in this country eating raw Lish and less cooked fish which allowed us to be infected by  symptoms of parasite infection mimic those at ulcers and usually begin 1 to 12 hours alter Ealing raw Lish although there have been Only 50 reported cases of human parasite infection in the United states Deardorff said this is just the tip of the  he noted that 70 percent of the cases have occurred since 1960. The most recent incident came to Light in August. A woman was infected by eating raw fish in a san Francisco sushi bar the parasite had lobe removed surgically. Casting doubt aside America s Fon Cinesi Lor Tushy continues hers a supermarket Dahl bar in a Lnla. Around the world maybe As Many As 30 million people Are Inlet led with the parasite said Thomas Schwarz assistant director for program development at the Center Lor food safely of the food and drug administration. The Center became concerned enough about the parasites to Issue an advisory to stale regulatory agencies in August. It suggested that Stales require any Public establishment thai Servos fish raw marinated or partly cooked to blast freeze the Lish Lor 15 hours a 31 degrees below Zero fahrenheit or freeze it for 7 Days at 10 below. The Issue of cold smoked fish was not addressed experts disagree on whether cold smoke a will kill parasite larvae but Schwarz said that 99 percent of All cold smoked fish is Frozen first anyway measles still declining associated press he once common childhood disease known As rubella or German measles continues to decline with just 551 cases reported in the United states last year the lowest count Ever. The number of cases reported in 1986 was Down 12 percent from 1985 and Down 99 percent since the Advent of rubella vaccine in years ago elimination of rubella in the United Stales appears feasible with increased Ellort the National centers for disease control in Atlanta reported recently. Scientists major concern in connection with rubella a usually mild disease causing lever and rash is the risk of congenital rubella syndrome or cars the dangerous spread of rubella infection irom Mother to unborn child. That can cause miscarriages and birth defects including heart and vision disorders twelve cases of congenital rubella syndrome were reported in the United states last year up from two cases in 1985 but the cd noted that eight of the 1986 cases occurred in one Cluster in new York i a eight told months after a rubella outbreak struck the City. Thus far in 1967, Federal health officials have received reports of Fust two congenital rubella syndrome cases theoc said the 551 rubella cases last year Mark a dramatic drop from the 57.686 cases reported m 969 me year that saw the first licensed rubella vaccine the nation s rubella rate in 1986 was to cases per million residents also a Sharp drop from the rate of More irian 250 cases per million reported in the late 1960s, the Atlanta based Agency said five percent of the nation s counties reported rubella cases last year compared with 7 percent two years earlier. Children under 5 continue to have the nation s highest rubella rate eight cases per million do Tell the drop in Rul Fla in the United states there is still cause to concern As researchers look toward the elimination of the disease the cd report said. The nation has Long had a strategy of vaccinating schoolchildren against rubella but 58 percent of All rubella cases reported last year occurred among people who Are Over 14 and thus too old to fall under school immunization programs. Ten Stales Shl Don t require rubella vaccine Lor later elementary and High school Coudron and 41 slates do not require Prool of rubella vaccine for College students the cd noted the continued occurrence of rubella in child Canna aged populations Means that potentially preventable cases of chs will continue to occur during the next 10 to 30 years the Agency warned the cd has advocated targeting vaccine programs for americans of child beaning age. Experts also disagree on whether pickling kills larvae according to Lee Weddig executive vice president of the National fisheries Institute a Rado association the fish pickling methods used in the a fated slates us contrasted win those in West Germany Ler example do kill larvae aficionados might be appalled at the idea of freezing Lish insisting that it makes the flesh watery and Mushy Kenelm w. Coons executive director of the new England fisheries development foundation inc. A Trade association said that properly Frozen fish Iclain most of is Tok Lural  to Admi led however that there is always a Lively debate in the Industry Over inc Shor Frozen " three fish popular in the United Stales Are among those most heavily my sled with parasites according too Ardaille cod. Pasalic Salmon and Pacific Rockfish Schwarz said ital in Japan Pacific Salmon Are Frozen before being used in sushi and that inc japanese avoid cod altogether. In the Netherlands the government requires lha fish served raw be Frozen first. Federal health authorities in this country said they do not know of any stale int has a similar requirement the american Lishing Industry however is aware of the parasite problem and is taking Steps to control it any responsible Lish processor removes nematodes Coons said referring to one of inc most common parasites a technique called candling also used to examine eggs in Roll of a Strong Light is used to spot the parasites whose larvae look like tiny coiled Worms the larvae Are removed with tweezers anybody can see a  said Robert l. Rausch. A Prole scr of Helminth ology the study of Worms at the University of Washington medical school in Seattle. No Deardorff said. Candling is helpful and effective but not 100 percent Ell Clive especially not Lor dark flesh Lish " Short of rec Zig Lish. There Are other ways that Consumers can protect themselves. For example they can ask Tor fish that have been  or raised m a controlled environment to make them unlikely to pick up parasites an even simpler solution is to Cook fish to 140 degrees which destroys parasites. But that puts an end to sushi Gra lax Cevich and even to fish cooked medium rare. Then there is Schwarz s philosophy. While he will not eat raw oysters or raw eggs he thinks sushi is different. I m an informed consumer i m willing to take my  tuesday october 1987 the stars and stripes Page 17