The key facts
- The number of opisthorchiasis victims in Pugachyov has reached 19, according to Rospotrebnadzor
- The store has not been closed: 35 kg of dried ide with parasites was seized, and the sale of the remaining fish has been suspended
- The Pugachyov inter-district prosecutor's office is checking compliance with sanitary requirements
The store keeps operating, the fish has been seized
A store in the town of Pugachyov, Saratov Region, where dried fish contaminated with opisthorchiasis pathogens was sold, continues to operate despite the confirmed mass infection of customers. This was reported to RIA Novosti by a source in law enforcement agencies:
19 victims and a prosecutor's office inspection
According to the latest data from Rospotrebnadzor, the number of victims has reached 19 people. All of them reported eating dried fish purchased at stores of the Pivzavod chain. Specialists are investigating the circumstances of the infection and testing product samples. Earlier, Life.ru reported the start of a prosecutor's office inspection after the first cases of illness in the Pugachyov district: the Pugachyov inter-district prosecutor's office ordered a check of compliance with sanitary requirements and food safety legislation, and, based on the results, to determine whether there are grounds for prosecutorial response measures.
Why opisthorchiasis is dangerous
Opisthorchiasis is a parasitic infection, caused by flatworms, or flukes. Infection can occur from eating raw, undercooked, underfried or improperly salted fish of the carp family, which includes ide, bream and roach. The parasites can affect the liver, gallbladder and bile ducts. Thus, the product seizure affected not only the infected ide: customers of the chain temporarily cannot buy the rest of the fish from this store either, while the inspections continue.
