(WCMH) — A warning for anyone looking to dine on Alaskan wild salmon.
A study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says salmon caught in Alaska has been infected by the Japanese Broad Tapeworm.
The tapeworm is a parasite that, in exceptional cases, can cause serious medical problems, such as intestinal obstructions.
The CDC says the tapeworm can also grow up to 30 feet long.
At least four species of Pacific salmon are known to carry Japanese tapeworm infections, chum salmon, masu salmon, pink salmon and sockeye salmon.
The salmon are exported on ice, unfrozen, around the world.
According to CNN, the salmon appear in restaurants around the world. Infections caused by the Japanese tapeworm may occur anywhere, from China to Europe, from New Zealand to Ohio.
Adequately cooking or freezing the fish can destroy the tapeworm.