Botulism is an infectious pathology that usually proceeds in an acute form and affects the human nervous system. Doctors admit that botulism is most often found in fish, so when using these products, special care must be taken. Which fish is more likely to be infected with botulism? What are the symptoms associated with this disease? How to protect the body from poisoning?
Where from?
It is known that the causative agent of botulism in a calm state lives in the soil, including sludge, which is located at the bottom of fresh water bodies. Fish that feeds on algae, including low algae, can swallow pathogens. There is an infection and the development of botulism in fish.
It is worth noting that the herbivorous species of fish often become carriers of such an ailment. Predators are infected much less often, although if the predator decides to eat a fish that is sick with botulism, infection is guaranteed.
In addition, infection can occur from a fish corpse, which decomposes at the site of the school. A carcass can be dangerous and throw a wand called botulinus, which is the main causative agent of infection.
What fish can be infected with botulism?
Any fish can be infected. It doesn’t matter where she lived. Most often, the following types are infected:
- sturgeon;
- all red fish;
- herring;
- burbot;
- zander;
- acne;
- ide;
- perch;
- silver carp;
- bream.
Of course, this is not the whole list of fish that can be infected, but all of these species are most often carriers of the disease.
It is also worth dispelling the myth that botulinus sticks are found only in freshwater fish. When asked whether botulism occurs in marine fish, the answer is yes. Infection is found in river, lake, and sea fish. The wand can live absolutely anywhere, because it lives in the soil, and not in the water.
How to understand that a fish is infected?
Land animals can also be infected with this infection. By their condition, you can immediately detect the presence of a particular pathology, but what about waterfowl, because their behavior can not be tracked in any way?
In order to find out how to determine botulism in fish, you need to remember several signs by which you can distinguish an infection:
- A strange smell that is not found in a fresh product.
- If we are talking about canned food, then a bloated jar or its lid gives out botulism.
- In infected fish, as a rule, scales are unpleasant to the touch. There is slippery plaque.
- The eyes of the fish are cloudy.
- When opening canned food, loose content is detected.
It is worth noting that all these signs are not specific, for example, an unpleasant fish smell can be present in uninfected, but stale products.
Toasting fish
Is it possible to get rid of botulism in fish when frying?
This is actually the most dangerous way. The botulinus bacillus dies during heat treatment, but only after half an hour. As a rule, the fish is fried quickly, and it is not so much time in the pan, so this type of treatment is not recommended by doctors if there is a chance of infection.
If after buying a person began to doubt that the fish is not infected with a stick, you can soak it for a while in any wine or in lemon juice. With this method, the meat is pickled in an acidic environment, which prevents the development of bacteria.
Smoking Against Botulism
Smoking is also a poor way to handle infected fish. The fact is that cold smoking does not at all affect the development of spores and bacteria, while hot smoking lasts very little time.
When smoked, the carcass quickly brownes and becomes aromatic, but due to the influence of high temperatures, the time of its preparation is significantly reduced.
Moreover, when the fish is smoked, a small amount of salt is used, and pickling is not peddled, so the botulinum stick feels great and does not die with this method of processing vertebrates.
Drying and curing
Does botulism persist in stockfish? Indeed, in its preparation uses a large amount of salt.
Before drying or drying, fish should be washed, cleaned and salted well. It is important not to spare the salt, because it is dried in the open air without exposure to high temperatures.
After the fish is ready, it must be properly stored. This is the only way to protect yourself from becoming infected with various diseases. Dried and dried fish should not be kept warm. But the cellar or refrigerator is perfect. In the cold, the fish stays fresh longer.
Before long-term storage, it is better to wrap each carcass in parchment. The use of polyethylene is strictly prohibited, as:
- in plastic packaging, the product dries quickly;
- excess moisture leads to the development of harmful microorganisms and to the multiplication of the botulinum bacillus.
Salted fish
Fans of salted fish should understand that the cooking process itself does not involve the use of high temperatures, so fish infected with botulism remains contagious to humans. However, there is a way to protect your health in this situation.
When cooking, the main thing is not to spare the salt. Do not be afraid that the product will turn out to be tasteless, as fish meat will absorb as much salt as necessary. When salting, it is necessary to fill the fish with 18% brine. Then the causative agents of botulism cease their activity and the product can be eaten without harm to health.
The cooking process is best done in the cold. The fish should be salted strictly in the refrigerator at a temperature not exceeding 6 ° C. After cooking, it should be stored under the same conditions.
Only under such conditions will the fish be safe for human health and it can be eaten.
Botulism: symptoms of the disease
If, nevertheless, a person was struck by this ailment, then it is necessary to pay attention to the symptoms at an early stage. Since this is a very serious infectious disease, early treatment is easier, and there is no serious harm to human health.
How does botulism initially manifest itself? Symptoms of the disease can be divided into:
- gastroenteritis (severe abdominal pain, vomiting and dearrhea);
- intoxication (temperature, malaise and general weakness in the body);
- neurological manifestations (poor eyesight, fog in the eyes, reticulum, double vision, swelling of the mucosa, difficulty swallowing).
Later, the disease begins to progress, and the patient has respiratory failure, decreased cardiovascular activity and gastrointestinal paresis.
In the acute form, botulism often affects the optic nerves of a person. Patients most often complain of poor eyesight and general weakness. The main ophthalmic symptoms in this pathology:
- drooping eyelids;
- pupil enlargement;
- different diameter of two pupils;
- poor response to light;
- decreased sharpness of vision;
- a person cannot look at the tip of the nose.
Also very often respiratory functions are disturbed. The disease can develop to the extent of the absence of a cough reflex and the impossibility of a deep breath.
How to protect yourself from infection?
Botulism in fish is now quite rare. The fact is that there are many ways that will help a person protect his body from infection. When buying vertebrates, simple rules should be followed, including:
- When gutting a carcass, it is important to carefully clean all the insides and wash the abdomen under running water several times.
- It is better to buy only frozen fish. In chilled fish , the botulinus coli often develops.
- It is necessary to cook fish at temperatures above 100 ° C and for at least 30 minutes. The best way is roasting.
- After opening, it is better to heat canned fish in the oven.
- When salting, it is necessary to add a large amount of salt.
- If canned fish is cooked at home, it is important to thoroughly sterilize the container before setting.
- Sun-dried, dried or salted fish should only be stored in a cold place.
- If a bad smell starts to open the canned fish, the jar must be discarded.
- You can’t buy bloated canned food.
- It is better to buy fish in stores where documents are available for it. You should not purchase products in non-specialized shops, from private traders, fishermen, etc.
These rules are very simple, and it’s not difficult to follow them. Do not try to save money by buying cheap fish. It is better to do it where the quality is proven.
It is always worth remembering that botulism is a serious, although treatable, disease. In the absence of proper treatment, the disease can seriously harm a person’s health, and in some cases, the fight against the disease can even end in death.