A Chinese man named Wang was reported to have contracted paragonimiasis, a parasitic infection, in Suqian, Jiangsu province of China after his regular diet consisted of water snails, crayfish, and raw snake’s gallbladder.
The Chinese man visited a respiratory doctor, Dr. Zhao Haiyan, after experiencing breathing difficulties, only to find that his lungs were infested with live snakes and worms. CT scan footage revealed a line-shaped infection in the man’s lungs. Paragonimiasis can be contracted from the consumption of unclean water containing tapeworms. Given that Wang ate raw seafood, he might have been infected by pathogens from such food.
When the doctors asked about his dietary habits, Mr Wang said that he enjoyed having seafood, such as crayfish and river snails. He also confessed that he even gobbled down a raw snake gallbladder once before.
Wet Markets in China
Generally, wet markets refer to the markets that sell fresh meat, fish, etc, but in China, these markets are known to sell the meat of wild animals, which are known sources of several deadly pathogens like the Wuhan Coronavirus. The scientific reports suggest that a 55-year-old woman from China’s Hubei province may have been the first person to have contracted COVID-19 through one such wet market.
Huanan Seafood Market in China’s Wuhan is believed to be the epicentre of coronavirus. Earlier, the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations to act against China’s wet markets.