Stop eating sushi. Immediately.

Sushi has long been heralded a healthy, classy meal. Something that's nutritious and delicious, if a little on the pricey side.

Unfortunately for sushi lovers, there's a big risk associated with eating raw food: parasites.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionSushi can carry anisakiasis, a disease in fish caused by parasitic worms whose eggs are carried around by the host (the host, being your sushi).

The larvae are easy to pass along, especially in uncooked fish, and can cause fever, diarrhoea, and vomiting.

Although the disease has been known for a while, a group of doctors are attempting to make people more mindful when eating sushi, after a Portuguese man was recently diagnosed with the disease.

Dr. Joana Carmo, a physician in the gastroenterology department of the Hospital of Egas Moniz in Lisbon, Portugal published a paper on the matter. Speaking to CNN, Carmo - who wrote a paper on the disease after treating a patient - said:

In European countries, fish infestation is probably more frequent than we thought.

One study showed that anisakis simplex (the species most commonly associated with human infections) was found in 39.4% of the fresh mackerel examined from different fish markets in Granada, Spain.

She added that another study showed that in Spain nearly 56% of blue whiting fish sold in five chain supermarkets showed infestation.

In Japan, there are 2,000-3,000 cases of anisakiasis a year, according to CNN.

If you are a sushi lover, you can help prevention of the disease by cooling or heating fish. Freezing fish or cooking it at a very high temperature helps.

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