Key Takeaways

Freshwater game fish in the U.S. now carry an exotic flatworm that can infect humans

More than 90% of game fish like bluegill and largemouth bass tested carried the flatworms, called trematodes

People can protect themselves by fully cooking fish or freezing it for a week

FRIDAY, June 6, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Freshwater game fish like bluegill, largemouth bass and black crappie in the U.S. commonly carry parasitic flatworms that can infect humans, a new study warns.

More than 90% of popular game fish tested in Southern California contained illness-causing flatworms called trematodes, researchers reported recently in The Journal of Infectious Diseases .

“Americans don’t usually think about parasites when they eat freshwater fish because it hasn’t historically been a

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