Eucestoda the "broad tapeworm" or "fish tapeworm") and related species. Humans become infected by eating raw, undercooked, or marinated fish acting as a second intermediate or paratenic host harboring metacestodes or plerocercoid larvae. Clinical symptoms are due to the large size of the tapeworm, which often reaches a length exceeding 15 m. The most common symptom is pernicious anemia, caused by the absorption of vitamin B12 by the worm. Other symptoms include various intestinal issues, slight leukocytosis, and eosinophilia. This condition is caused by the plerocercoid larvae of the tapeworm "Spirometra". Humans become infected by drinking contaminated water, eating raw or
Onsan illness problem. The collective group of symptoms was termed "Onsan illness" as a root cause was initially unknown and later thought to be cadmium poisoning. It is believed that over 500 cases of cadmium poisoning have occurred in Onsan. Comparisons have been drawn with the Itai-itai disease, which caused similar symptoms and was caused by cadmium poisoning from the mining industry in the Toyama prefecture in Japan. The health impact combined with the risk to their livelihoods sparked a grass roots movement supported by the media. While the government maintained their position that poisoning is not the cause of this illness,