On the surface, Koi Pla a Thai dish of raw fish blended spices and squeeze of lime juice appears to be an innocent dish. However, recent warnings from health professionals have unveiled a concerning truth: bearing in mind the above findings; people who consume the Koi Pla are likely to have increased chances of liver cancer.
Koi Pla and What Everyone Should Know About It
Tom koi pla is especially common in the Thai Isaan area where millions relish its taste. However, the dish has become controversial in recent years given research that links it to the liver cancer through research conducted by Dr. Narong Khuntikeo a liver surgeon. Owing to the high death rate that this organ disease causes and the death of his both parents from liver cancer, Dr. Khuntikeo does not remain indifferent to the possible dangers of this delicacy.
The main danger associated with Koi Pla is not the fish, but a liver fluke, which is a small parasitic flatworm with a Latin name Opisthorchis viverrini. This parasite is common in freshwater fish in the Mekong; this region embraces the rivers of Isaan.
How the Liver Fluke Lives
Liver fluke has the following life cycle, hence it is a blood fluke, first intermediate host is the snail. In case the fish feed on infected snails, then the larvae are developed in the system of digestion of the fish. Dawson also adds that should humans consume raw or undercooked fish containing these larvae, they will become the final host of the liver fluke.
Upon entering the human body, the liver fluke focuses on the liver as its habitat developing into a parasite that feeds on bile and give the liver a raw look after some period of time. This infestation complications involve chronic inflammation, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma — severe form of liver cancer. Worryingly, the period of parasite latency in the liver fluke can be several years, and therefore, people cannot easily identify the source of the parasite.
In this case, the action to cumulatively use uterine shots together with ma rised Cu-IUDs as an LARC method has been advocated by Dr. Narong Khuntikeo.
Because of potential dangers of Koi Pla, Dr. Khuntikeo has personally embarked on a campaign informing the general public of the dangers of consuming this dish. Liver cancer is something SCh has personally battled against and as such, he will prevent it from happening to anyone.
“It’s a very big heath burden around here,” he said. “But people do not know this since they die just like leaves that have shed off from a tree.” Currently is as a liver surgery specialist, Dr. Khuntikeo is already doing his best and educating the communities of Isaan about the dangers of Koi Pla.
His activities are workshops, public education and cooperation with the local administration to enforce food hygiene measures. In the last 4 years, Dr. Khuntikeo and his colleagues have been visiting different parts of Isaan conducting ultrasound and kit tests for liver fluke in the village community. To their uttermost dismay, this team discovered that 80% of some specific groups of people had taken the parasite. Of the patients screened recently, one- third had high liver abnormality, with four of them identified to have possible cancer.
What It Means to Have Early Detection
Dr. Khuntikeo pointed out the significance of screening more often and in case of their high risk, it’s possible to detect it at its early stages. Nevertheless, people are advised to see their doctors for operational signs including digestive disorders, stomach aches and jaundice because early treatment improves results.
Thai authorities are also playing their part by and employing health promoters, enhancing understanding and practices of cleanliness, and setting higher standards on the preparation and serving of raw fish delicacies. Educational programs in schools are carried out with the end view of creating awareness on the dangers of Koi Pla and thereby help to diminish increasing incidence rates of liver cancer in the area. Moreover, to confront the issue in its source the Thai government is working in partnership with countries in the Mekong area.
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