Is rhabdomyolysis caused by crayfish?

Rhabdomyolysis is a relatively serious disease that can easily lead to renal failure and even pose a great threat to life safety in severe cases. Many people suddenly develop symptoms of rhabdomyolysis after eating crayfish. The health supervision department said that crayfish and some crabs are the intermediate hosts of lung fluke. If the bacteria are not completely killed by high temperature, people may develop such symptoms after eating crayfish.

Is rhabdomyolysis caused by crayfish?

Beijing's health supervision department said that crayfish and crabs are both intermediate hosts of lung fluke, and processing methods such as roasting, frying, pickling, and marinating cannot kill all the lung fluke metacercariae (larvae) that may be carried in crayfish. The Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention stated that to prevent paragonimiasis, simply do not eat raw or half-cooked crayfish and crabs.

Experts say that the cooking temperature must be kept above 100°C for at least 10 minutes to ensure that the metacercariae of Paragonimus are killed. In addition, the crayfish head is prone to lurking bacteria and parasites, so it is generally not eaten. In 2010, cases of rhabdomyolysis occurred in Nanjing, and the Ministry of Health stated that they were related to crayfish. However, the specific reasons remain controversial. Science expert Shoutuo told reporters that eating crayfish may cause "rhabdomyolysis", but the probability is low, and this symptom may also occur when eating other aquatic products.

There are also taboos in eating crayfish

1. Do not take vitamin C tablets

Shellfish such as shrimp contain high concentrations of "pentavalent arsenic compounds". It itself is non-toxic to the human body, but after taking vitamin C tablets, the original non-toxic arsenic compound can be converted into toxic arsenic trioxide, i.e. arsenic trioxide, which can endanger human life.

2. Feed with clean water for 24 hours

Before cooking, be sure to feed the shrimp with clean water for about 24 hours to allow the shrimp to excrete metabolites. In addition, use a brush to clean the dirt on its body. At the same time, the intestinal thread that hides a lot of mud and bacteria must also be removed, and then rinsed thoroughly with clean water 2-3 times.

3. Don’t eat shrimp heads

The head of the crayfish is the part that absorbs and processes the most toxins, and is also the part most prone to accumulation of pathogens and parasites.

5. Don’t drink beer

Do not drink beer when eating crayfish, because lobsters are high in protein and the purine content is also very high. If you eat lobsters and drink a lot of beer at the same time, it may cause an increase in blood uric acid and cause a gout attack.

How to choose fresh crayfish

When buying crayfish, try to choose those that are large, have green shells, white cheeks, and are very active. If the crayfish has been left for a while or is dead, the meat will be soft and look empty and not full.