Certified Professional Food Safety (CP-FS) Practice Exam

Which parasite is associated with raw or undercooked seafood and can cause symptoms within 1 hour to 2 weeks?

1. Anisakis spp.

2. Giardia lamblia

3. Cryptosporidium

4. Toxoplasma gondii

The correct answer is: Anisakis spp.

Anisakis spp. is a type of parasitic roundworm commonly found in raw or undercooked seafood. When humans consume infected fish or squid, the larvae can invade the stomach wall, leading to symptoms that may arise quickly—within a range of 1 hour to 2 weeks following ingestion. Symptoms can include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, which are primarily due to the body’s immune response to the invading larvae. The characteristics unique to Anisakis make it particularly relevant in discussions about food safety, especially in culinary practices involving sushi, sashimi, and other forms of raw seafood. Proper cooking or freezing practices can effectively kill the larvae, highlighting the importance of food safety methods in preventing Anisakis infections. While other options such as Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidium, and Toxoplasma gondii are indeed associated with foodborne illnesses, their associations differ in terms of transmission routes and ranges of symptoms onset. Giardia lamblia typically stems from contaminated water rather than seafood, Cryptosporidium is often linked with contaminated food or water, and Toxoplasma gondii primarily comes from undercooked meat rather than seafood. Each of these has distinct characteristics and symptom timelines, which sets Anisakis spp