The use of shellfish. Edible shellfish - snails and freshwater mussels

Experienced for many years - carp fishermen, catfish fishermen, yazyatniks, bream fishermen catch big fish on shellfish and is especially good in the second half of summer and early autumn, using them both as bait and bait.

According to scientists, almost all fish would eat mollusks with pleasure, if not for the hard protective shell. But it’s easy for fishermen to remove the shell ...

Shellfish nutrition

Mollusks have a varied diet: they can suck on the bacterial film from various underwater surfaces, they can gnaw, they can grind detritus, they can simply filter organic suspensions ... But they also participate in the food chain and fish eat them with pleasure. The meat of these mollusks is very nutritious, it is rich in vitamins and proteins and can be eaten by almost any fish. Mollusks, like other creatures, live where there is more food, where it is calmer.

Where do molluscs live

shellfish are very widely distributed in our reservoirs: they live in large and small lakes, rivers, in ponds and streams, in stagnant and running water. Probably there is no such place where they would not live. Most of all mollusks are near the coast with thickets of grass, where there are snags, all kinds of shelters. A large number of coils, bits, pearls can collect in places where they are dumped wastewater, where organic matter coming out of the sewer settles to the bottom, which turns this bottom into a real table with “delicacy” products.

It turns out that mollusks from all the surroundings crawl to this place in order to feast in plenty. There is also a fish that eats these mollusks. According to scientists, the biomass of mollusks is much greater than the biomass of other benthic organisms taken together. And this is especially true for our rivers. Under these conditions, mollusks develop very well, sometimes covering the bottom of the reservoir with a continuous carpet.

Types of shellfish

According to scientists, in our reservoirs, there are from 40 to 60 species of "shells". Very small, and these are peas and balls have a shell of only 5-10 mm.

In larger ones, and these are coils, bitinia, zebrafish, the size is even larger. Toothless and barley can grow up to 25 cm.

How do mollusks move

“Snails”, “shells” - all these mollusks can move, that is, move, crawl both along the bottom and along aquatic vegetation. they have a very muscular leg (a kind of triangle of muscles), with the help of which they can move tens of meters, leaving behind a characteristic trace - a path.

Who eats shellfish

Almost all fish eat the most delicious shellfish meat, with the exception of the podust, a perephyton-sucker, probably this water cow, and the silver carp, a filter feeder. Not every fish is capable of reaching the fish to this delicacy, since the mollusk has strong armor - a “shell”. The strength of the armor is different - some are thicker, some are thinner. Soft, thin shells of peas and balls are able to gnaw through many fish, especially carp, bream, silver bream, and crucian love them. In reservoirs where there is little grass and a lot of fish, there are very few such mollusks, since they are eaten by everyone who is not lazy.

Coils and bitinia live easier: their shells are more massive and larger, it is more difficult for most fish to crush them. Large specimens of ide, bream, and roach easily cope with them. Large whitefish are very fond of bitinia and can eat a couple of hundred shells during the day. The roach is very fond of the zebrafish shell, which is the only one of its kind to eat them. Barley shell, toothless, not every fish can crush.

Catfish, large bream, carp - eat these large mollusks, which have not yet strengthened the shell. Adult toothless and barley fish are eaten only after their death, when the muscle-contactor is no longer active. In this case, the valves at the sink diverge and the fish is able to suck out the soft and tasty contents.

Trout and eel feed on small molluscs. Such a fish as a tench, with pleasure eats all kinds of living creatures that are found in water thickets. But due to the fact that his mouth is soft, he cannot crush a large shell, so he has to eat young mollusks. Most of all tench loves balls and coils.

Growing burbots and catfish eat mollusks often and with great pleasure. Having matured, they, of course, switch to feeding on fish, but they will not swim past a dead or crushed toothless, whose shell is open.

Black carp, having pharyngeal teeth like millstones, is a real thunderstorm of molluscs. He is able to crush almost any shell, as long as it fits in his mouth. Well, a large carp can put anything in its mouth ... Black carp easily copes with zebra mussel - which has a powerful shell.

shellfish are food for fish all year round, regardless of the season, but most of all in autumn. Autumn shellfish are much tastier than spring or summer ones. But it's not that. It turns out that the aquatic vegetation dies off and the shells have nowhere to hide, and accordingly it is easier for the fish to detect them. Much depends on the rhythm of nutrition of each type of fish. If in given time year the fish does not eat or eats poorly, then it will not be happy with mollusks either.

What are the diseases of shellfish

Many have seen inky black spots ( diplostomosis) on fish such as roach, bream ... Intermediate hosts here are reels and fish, the final tree frogs and herons.

Tetracotylosis- here the causative agent of the disease must undergo development in the gastropod mollusk before infecting the fish.

And it turns out that our fish shellfish bring both benefit and harm.

Calories, kcal:

Proteins, g:

Carbohydrates, g:

Mollusks, they are also soft-bodied, are animals distinguished by spiral crushing. In general, today there are already more than two hundred thousand different types soft-bodied. Mollusks, as an animal species, have adapted to life in absolutely the entire habitat of the Earth (calorizator). They can be found both in the seas and in the rivers. Also a large number of species lives on land.

A huge number of species of mollusks are different in size. The smallest adult mollusks are only 0.5 mm in size. The largest of the known reached 16 meters, really gigantic specimens.

Some species of mollusks are on the verge of extinction, due to exorbitant industrial production, as well as human activity, leading to a change in the habitual habitat.

It is known that lifestyle appearance animal, depends on the type of mollusk and its habitat. There are several main types into which mollusks are divided:

• shellfish chitons or deep-sea underwater animals whose diet is various algae, as well as other inhabitants of the ocean. Habitat - Pacific Ocean;
• gastropods are the most common types of soft-bodied, in turn are divided into keel-legged and wing-legged;
• bivalves, this species includes food, as well as dates, folad and byssus, the most inactive types of mollusks;
• cephalopods, this species includes well-known animals, plankton, and others. cephalopods most often they are predators.

Calorie content of shellfish

The calorie content of shellfish is on average only 77 kcal per 100 grams of product.

The composition and beneficial properties of shellfish

Directly chemical composition the mollusk depends on a number of factors, first of all, it is the type of animal, lifestyle, and also the habitat (calorizer). Shellfish contain a large number of useful compounds necessary for humans.

Shellfish in cooking

Many types of shellfish are suitable for eating, but not only in Food Industry they found a place. Mollusks are also often used in medicine and cosmetology.

I often get confused in the names of shellfish (or, scientifically, bivalves and gastropods). So I put together a small selection. interesting information, pictures and descriptions of the most popular (delicious) subspecies.

These mollusks live both in salt and fresh water, lead sedentary image life attached to hard objects or .. their relatives. This is how fishermen caught them in ancient times: a wooden pole was lowered into the water and after a little over a year its lower part was all “hung” with mussels. With the help of a leg or shell, some species are able to move quickly. Mollusks mainly feed on unicellular algae, the smallest plankton and other organic particles contained in the water. Sea water through the ajar valves it enters the gills and passes through the mollusks, as through a filter. Food is transported into the body and mineral particles are removed. Thus, mollusks are active water filters: one individual pumps through itself up to 3 liters of water per hour. They prefer to live in running water, because using sea currents, mollusks can feed without much effort - passing the necessary amount of water through the gills. Because of these features of the body, they live only in fairly clean water.

The shell of mollusks has two flaps, which are controlled by opening muscles and, if necessary, are able to fit snugly against each other. This enables the soft-bodied animal to reliably isolate itself from environment. Inner surface shells are lined with a layer of mother-of-pearl, and the body of the mollusk is covered with a fleshy film - the mantle. There can often be grains of sand in the shell: you should wash them well under running water, or even better, soak them in salt water for an hour or two before cooking (well, or wait until the grains of sand turn into pearls)! Some types of shellfish are eaten raw, others are stewed, fried or boiled. Remember, it is very important to eat only fresh shellfish: in mussels and barnacles, the shell must either be tightly closed (except for scallops, which are sold with open shells) or closed from touch (for oysters). I recommend not eating those shells that did not open during heat treatment.

Mussels / mussels / cozze.

Mussels differ both in size (from 5 to 20 cm), shell color (from blue-black to golden brown), life expectancy (from 5 to 30 years) and taste of meat. It is believed that in warm-water mussels the meat is more tender and softer, and in those that are found in cold water- rougher. In terms of protein content, mussel meat is superior to beef and fish. the highest palatability possess mussels caught from June to February.

All the insides of the shell are edible (except the leg), they are very tasty stewed in white sauce (from butter, parsley, garlic and white wine) or red (from tomatoes, the same garlic and white wine, finely sautéed shallots, oregano , thyme and hot red pepper).

There is a special subspecies of bearded horse mussel / cozza pelosa mussels, the Russian name of which I did not find. They are especially loved and appreciated by the Italians.

On the coast mediterranean sea there is a French village of Boosing. It is considered the capital of mussels - there they can be found in any cafe where they are cooked along with grilled sausages and served with local wines. However glorious traditions The use of mussels is not only in France. For example, in Odessa, this product was sometimes cooked right on the beach - on a sheet of iron, fixed over a fire.

As with the scallop, the muscle and mantle of the mussel are eaten. This mollusk passes through its body, great amount water, acting as a kind of filter. Therefore, they are prepared as follows: they wash and sort out the shells, keep them in cold water for several hours. Then I wash it again and boil it in salted water for 15-20 minutes. After that, the shells should be opened and the meat removed from them, rinsing again in boiled water. After that, salads, cold and hot snacks, soups can be prepared from mussels.

Of course, mussels are very useful. Their meat contains more than 30 useful trace elements, as well as B vitamins: B1, B2, B6, vitamin D and PP.

Oysters / oysters / ostriche.

Because of the delicious healthy meat Oysters have been eaten for hundreds of years. It has always been believed that oyster stocks are inexhaustible, but as a result of uncontrolled fishing in the mid-nineteenth century, the question arose of the need to regulate their collection and introduce artificial breeding. There is a legend that the oyster season lasts only in those months in the name of which there is a letter "r" (i.e. from September to April) due to the fact that, firstly, in summer months wild oysters breed and secondly because of the difficulties of their storage and transportation in the warm season. However, now 95% of the oysters consumed are grown on farms, well, modern methods their cultivation allows them to be consumed all year round. I would never have thought that the USA is the world's largest producer of oysters, Americans eat as many as 2.5 billion pieces a year. The oyster growing period lasts from three to four years, during which time the mollusk grows in size from 5 to 15 centimeters; although individuals of some species reach as much as 45 centimeters.

In nature, there are 2 kinds of oysters: European (Ostrea or flat) and Pacific (Crassostrea or deep). European oysters are usually named after the area where they were grown: belons, gravettes, olerons, etc. Pacific - according to growing technology: fine de claire, speciales de claire. Those oysters that live in cooler waters are tastier, and their meat is more tender and juicy. In flat oysters, the size is indicated by zeros, the largest is four zeros. For deep oysters, the size is displayed by numbers, the most big size- the first. Oysters are traditionally sold by the dozen.

Oysters are usually eaten fresh, with a little pepper and sprinkled with lemon juice. It is better to order oysters of medium size (they are more tender), and too large oysters do not always fit in the mouth :). There is popular belief that fresh oyster squeaks. So, if you hold a fresh oyster in your hands and hear a squeak, then stop squeaking :). Oyster lunch is well complemented by croutons from rye bread with butter, as well as wine vinegar sauce. The traditional way of consumption is as follows: the conch is taken in left hand, the body of the mollusk is separated from the muscle located in the middle of the shell, a little bit of pepper and a couple of drops of lemon juice are added and the oyster is drunk from the recessed side of the sash. But they do not swallow it right away, but enjoy its juice, slightly chewing the meat. well and the best place in the world (IMHO) for eating this delicacy - the beaches of the French town of Cancale (Cancale), in which you can choose a couple of dozen of the freshest oysters at a small seafood market on the waterfront. The seller will immediately open them for you. And you can eat them by hanging your legs from the side of the embankment to the ocean, casually throwing the wings into the coastal sand (as is customary!). In the same town, you can visit the oyster museum and the oyster farm, which, in my opinion, is the most delicious oyster on earth!

Scallops / scallops / capesante.

Scallops live in all the world's oceans and in many seas (even in the Black Sea they are!). The bivalve shell of molluscs is a symbol of the female water principle that gives rise to all living things - it is the scallop shell that is depicted in Sandro Botticelli's painting "The Birth of Venus". The shell has a diameter of 15-20 cm, inside which is one of the main seafood delicacies - scallop meat.

Scallop meat is tender, slightly sweet in taste. They can be consumed both raw and used for cooking from salads to second courses. They are especially popular in French cuisine (my favorite dish Saint-Jacques - baked scallop in mushroom-cheese-cream-wine sauce with bread crumbs). Scallop fillet contains almost no fats and carbohydrates, but it has a beneficial effect on male potency. Today, scallops are the third largest shellfish in the world, after oysters and mussels.

When buying fresh scallops, inside the shell you will find creamy meat and sometimes a bright orange bag of caviar. Caviar has a slightly different texture than scallop meat, but no less tasty - cook it with meat. All other membranes and dark veins must be removed and not eaten. Scallop meat can also be sold in ice cream, but you need to be careful when buying it - the scallop absorbs water very well, which is often used by its sellers. Meat saturated with water becomes more weighty - so weigh the scallop in your hand before buying, it should be less than an ice of the same size by weight.

Scallop does not like long cooking - the simpler and faster it is cooked, the better. Fry it for 1-2 minutes on each side in a very hot pan lightly sprinkled with olive oil, and the scallop is ready. It is very convenient and beautiful to serve it in its own sink.

This is the most common-looking bivalve shell. Inside is a mollusk, the edible part of which is the muscle and the mantle. Moreover, people have been using this mollusk for food since time immemorial - it was appreciated by the inhabitants of coastal areas Far East, long before Europeans first mentioned this product in literature in 1704. Sea scallops are boiled in salted water in salted water for about 7-10 minutes. After cooking, the product is cooled and cut. It is also baked or fried. Sea scallop is suitable for preparing delicacy appetizers, first course salads.

Scallop meat contains high-grade proteins, active lipids. This seafood is a valuable source of minerals such as sodium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, copper, manganese, zinc, iodine and others. It also contains vitamins B1, B2, B6 B12. Scallop, like other seafood, is classified as an “absolute taste” product that does not require spices and seasonings.

Cockerels (or just clams) / clams / vongole.

Cockerels gave me the most trouble, the devil himself will break his head in the types and subspecies of these shells (even the exact scientific definition clams does not exist)! However, there are two main groups: soft-shelled and hard-shelled / fasolari, although soft does not mean that the shell is actually soft - it is just thinner and more brittle than a hard shellfish.

Hard-shelled clams have a shiny shell, and the meat looks like long tongue with a bright orange tip, it is from them that delicious soup manhattan clam chowder, which I would recommend you try at the oyster bar at New York's Grand Central Station. Usually the shells are rounded (with the exception of the sea handle / razor clams / cannolicchio, which are rectangular-oblong and date shells / dattero di mare - round-oblong, however, the catch and use of the latter is prohibited) - see. illustrations above.

Soft-shelled mollusks come with longitudinal and transverse ribbing. And their most popular subspecies are amande, venus, and palourdes, which are considered the best - see below. illustrations above.

When choosing shellfish, use general rules They must be very fresh, although they are rarely eaten alive. My favorite cockerel dish is linguine alle vongole, which is my favorite long Italian pasta.

Cardium / cockles

These shells are a little smaller size and have a more rounded shell than bettas; are used in the same way as their older brothers.

Periwinkle (left) / winkles / buccini di mare and trumpeter (right) / whelks / chiocciole di mare.

Periwinkle and trumpeter are coastal sea snails. The soft body of the mollusk hides in a beautiful spirally twisted calcareous shell up to 20 cm long and is closed with a “curtain”. Their delicious orange meat is ideally absorbed by the body and is a source of complete proteins and trace elements - especially iodine and fluorine.

Small mollusks are cooked right in the shells - they are left overnight in fresh water, and then boiled for 5-10 minutes in a ready-made salty broth with spices and herbs. Sometimes, after cooking, the snails are dipped in a vinegar solution. Snails are served hot or cold, often with lemon, olive oil and vinegar, but the meat is eaten with small needles, carefully removing it from the shells. The meat is very juicy, slightly rubbery, with a strong taste. The most delicious snails I have eaten at the restaurant Astoux et Brun in Cannes, not far from the Palais des Festivals and the Sunday fish market, they are served to all visitors as an appetizer. And you can stop nibbling them only when the main dishes are taken out.

Now about cephalopods. Cephalopods, no pun intended, there are eight-legged and ten-legged. The first are octopuses, decapods are squids and cuttlefish. Of all this glorious company, squids are the most accessible and popular. Let's start with them.

squids

There are about 300 species of squid that live mainly in tropical waters. The sizes of squids can be very different: from 2-5 cm and a weight of 300 grams for an ordinary squid, up to 18 meters in length and a couple of tons for a giant squid (octopus). Unfortunately, these squids are not to be eaten.

All squids have a conical body called a mantle with diamond-shaped fins and 10 tentacles around the mouth opening. The mantle has an ink bag, the black liquid that is in it serves the squid for self-defense.

The muscular mantle and tentacles of the squid are eaten, which are a protein product: 80% of the solids in them are proteins. Also, squid meat is rich in vitamins and minerals. Squid suckers dried in a frying pan are considered a special delicacy.

Cutting a squid carcass is quite simple: the ligaments between the head and the body are removed, after which the head is separated along with the insides. The remaining whole hollow carcass can be stuffed, the eyes and jaws are removed from the head.

Stores usually sell squid fillets. In any case, before cooking, you need to remove the thin skin that covers the meat. For this, the squid is kept for several minutes in hot water after which the skin is easily removed. The cleaned meat is boiled for 2-3 minutes.

Squid dishes are common in Mediterranean cuisine: they are stuffed or deep-fried, cut into rings, used in salads.

Octopuses

Hundreds of species of octopuses are known, and all of them have a body consisting of a bag-shaped body and a large head, on the front of which there are eight tentacles with suckers in two rows. Among the variety of species, there are giant octopus(Paractopus dofleini), whose body length reaches 60 cm, and the total length is up to 3 meters. However, octopuses of more modest dimensions are eaten: the so-called "muscardini" weighing 40-100g. and larger specimens of 2-4 kg. Muscardini is cheaper and the cost increases in proportion to weight.

Cephalopods are usually supplied to Russia by Spain, France, Holland. But we also have our own crafts: up to 14 species of octopuses weighing from 400 g to 12 kg live in the Far Eastern seas. Octopus, like other seafood, is healthy, its meat has a greater nutritional value than that of squid. A quality product is not wrinkled and elastic when pressed.

Octopus in cooking is used both boiled and raw, sometimes the skin is also used. However, the most common option is boiled octopus.

Octopus is a popular dish on the Mediterranean coast. It is marinated, baked in breadcrumbs, served fried with vinegar and oil sauce.

Cuttlefish

Cuttlefish have a more flattened body than squids, surrounded by an oval mantle with narrow fins on the sides, four pairs of limbs and one pair of tentacles with suckers. Cuttlefish, which is less common both on store shelves and on restaurant menus, is often cooked according to the same recipes as squid or octopus. In the Mediterranean, a boiled product is especially popular, served as a salad in a spicy marinade from olive oil. Small cuttlefish, prized for their subtle nutty flavor, are often deep fried. In cooking, two sizes of cuttlefish are most in demand. Small (from 20 g) - for preparing snacks, salads, kebabs. And larger ones - weighing 300-600 g, used in main dishes. Product bigger size rarely used: the meat of large cuttlefish is considered coarser. In general, cuttlefish are an interesting and unusual creature: they are able to change the color and structure of their skin in a matter of seconds. Their ink is still used to make paint that has a pure brown color - sepia (from sepia - the scientific name for cuttlefish). By the way, cuttlefish ink is also used in cooking: most often for cooking Italian dishes - pasta, risotto, as well as some sauces.

sea ​​snails

Several varieties are sold in Philippine markets. It is difficult for a European to understand the subtle difference between them. Sometimes sellers specially cut off the tips of the shells to make it easier to pull the snails out of there. If you have bought already crushed shells, then you should know: you need to cook them as soon as possible.

If you decide to buy whole shells, don't worry, I'll show you how to get the edible part yourself. You just need to cook them, and then the body of the snail can be easily removed with a fork.

How to choose snails? Choose by scent. There is no darling, so the clams are fresh, you can buy. Sometimes you can see how they move their paws in their shells.

How to cook snails? Can be boiled in coconut milk with garlic, onion and spices. All cooking takes no more than 5-7 minutes.

Tamilok - sea worm

And finally, the most exotic Filipino creature is Tamilok. The Filipinos themselves admit that they eat it from time to time. This is more of a tourist amusement, for which locals travel to remote areas and collect worms. Tamilok is found in the trunks of rotting mangrove trees. Get him a real feat. You need to wander for a long time through the fetid thickets knee-deep or waist-deep in water, looking for slimy and long molluscs. In the markets, Tamilok is sold in this form - in a special marinade that protects the worm from spoilage. Ingredients of the marinade: sugar, salt, vinegar and pepper.

After wandering around the Internet, I was surprised to learn that Tamilok is not a worm, but a mollusk. Some compare its taste to oysters. Locals eat it with alcohol.

As for me, Tamilok is not intended for the stomach of a European. The taste of mud, the slimy consistency, the taste of vinegar... nothing special.

Guidac

Guidac - large edible gastropod weighing up to 1.5 kg of the species Panopea generosa, which is found off the west coast of the United States. The thin, fragile shell of this mollusk, up to 20 cm long, cannot completely cover the even longer protruding "neck" (neck), which we usually call the "leg" - this "leg" is three times the size of the shell.

The English name for this mollusk (geoduck, gweduck) appeared in late XIX century, is derived from the name of these mollusks in the language of the Nisqual Indians (hence why it is pronounced "guidac") and means "deep digging" - these mollusks really dig quite deep into the sand. The clam meat is quite tough and tastes like abalone, so the Americans usually cut it into pieces, beat it off and fry it in butter with onion.

However, the main part of the catch is exported to Japan (where the guidaka are called “murugai”), Taiwan and Hong Kong, where they are often eaten raw (for example, in Japan they are scalded, the skin is pulled off, the insides are removed, thinly cut and made from them sashimi).

Molluscum contagiosum is a viral skin disease in the form of multiple rounded rashes with a depression in the center. Mostly children are ill. Treatment most often does not require. Passes on its own.
ICD code 10: B08.1 - Molluscum contagiosum

Synonyms: epithelial mollusk, Bazin's pox-like acne, Neisser's contagious epithelioma, warty mollusk, candidal mollusk (erroneous name), Hebra's sebaceous mollusk.

Treatment: see a dermatologist.

Cause and mechanism of infection

Cause molluscum contagiosum It is a virus from the smallpox group, from the poxvirus family. In the international taxonomy of viruses, it is called Molluscum contagiosum virus: link.

• Only the person is sick. Animals don't get sick!
• Scientists have discovered several types of molluscum contagiosum virus.
• The source of the virus is skin formations in the patient.
• The virus is resistant to external environment.
• The virus is transmitted by contact from a sick person (which is often in children's groups). Infection can also occur when using hygiene items or clothes of a sick person, in a pool, in a bathhouse, on the beach, etc.
• The incubation period (the period from infection to the appearance of symptoms on the skin) is from 2 weeks to 6 months.
• A predisposing factor to the disease: a decrease in general and / or local immunity in the skin. In HIV patients, molluscum contagiosum occurs very often (up to 15% of patients with HIV infection).
• Through microtrauma of the skin, scratching, the virus penetrates into the superficial cells of the skin epithelium (into the cells of the epidermis), integrates into them and begins to multiply. At the same time, the activity of immune cells in human skin is suppressed for a certain time, which also leads to the rapid development of the virus.
• Mostly children and adolescents are ill.
• In adults, when a mollusk appears on the body, one should look for the cause of a decrease in local or general immunity. It could be diabetes or atopic dermatitis. This may be chemotherapy for blood cancer (leukemia) or HIV infection. This may be aggressive antibiotic therapy or the use of ointments with corticosteroids.
• After treatment, the virus is not found in the human body. Immunity to him is unstable. Therefore, after a few years, a person can become infected again.

Why "contagious" and why "mollusk"?

Because under the microscope, the contents squeezed out of the skin formation look like a mollusk.
And “contagious” means contagious.

Symptoms and clinic

1) The main symptom of molluscum contagiosum: the appearance of many rounded formations on the skin.
These formations (papules) are 1 to 5 mm in size, spherical in shape with a depressed center. Also called - umbilical (from the word navel) or crater-shaped depression. Small formations in the initial stage do not yet have a depressed center and look like ordinary abscesses (see photo).

In the photo: it looks like a molluscum contagiosum

2) Itching almost never happens. There is also no pain.

3) Localization - the whole body: skin of the face, neck, torso, limbs. With the sexual route of infection - around the genitals, on the pubis, on the hips. Never occurs on the skin of the palms and soles of the feet.

4) The number of papules - from a few pieces to several hundred.

5) When pressing on the papule, a thick liquid and a curd mass in the center are released.

Attention: there should be no general reaction - no temperature, no headache, no weakness.

6) Atypical types of mollusks often appear, that is, unlike the classical form of education:

Diagnostics

With the classic form, the diagnosis of molluscum contagiosum is easy to make. It takes into account: children's age, the presence of children with molluscs in the team, multiple spherical formations on the skin with an umbilical depression.

Difficulties in diagnosis are rare, with atypical forms. But even with atypical species, dermatoscopy clearly shows umbilical depressions in the center of the mollusk papules.

This is what a mollusk looks like with dermatoscopy

In difficult cases, the doctor resorts to squeezing the papule with tweezers. If crumbly masses are squeezed out of the papule, with 99% probability it is a molluscum contagiosum.

In even rarer cases, they resort to diagnostics under a microscope. To do this, crumbly masses are sent to the laboratory, where a picture corresponding to this disease is determined under a microscope. At the same time, eosinophilic inclusions are found in the cytoplasm of cells.

Differential Diagnosis molluscum contagiosum is carried out with diseases:

• pyoderma (pustules on the skin),
• chickenpox (chickenpox),
• filiform papillomas (),
• vulgar warts (),
• genital warts on the genitals (),
• milia.

Molluscum contagiosum in adults - features

1) Both women and men are equally often ill.

2) Be sure to find out the predisposing factor to its appearance in adults. Why did he appear?

3) In adults, the frequent location of molluscum contagiosum is the genitals and inguinal region.
In women: on the pubis and labia. In men - on the penis and pubis. In this case, it resembles both the initial stage of genital warts and pustular diseases in the genital area. This arrangement is due to sexual transmission of infection.

4) In the treatment, it is necessary to correct the general disease, which led to a decrease in immunity and activation of the virus:

• treatment diabetes,
• correction of dysbacteriosis,
• correction of drugs that depress the immune system (cytostatics, corticosteroids, including locally in the form of ointments)
  treatment of HIV infection.

5) A variant is quite possible: the child picked up a mollusk in kindergarten The adults got sick. All family members should be examined at once.

6) Treatment of pregnant women with molluscum contagiosum is different from other women: you should stop using antiviral and immune drugs, do not use cauterizing agents such as super celandine. The only treatment for pregnant women is the removal of molluscum papules.

Molluscum contagiosum in children

Most often, children under the age of 10 are sick. During this period, the child actively interacts with the outside world, and the immune system gets acquainted with many bacteria and viruses. In the same period, warts first appear in children, during this period, children suffer from childhood infections.

Is it necessary to treat molluscum contagiosum in children and how?

Only with a clear cosmetic defect and with complications. Treatment methods are described below.
On the face, remove the education tool with extreme caution so as not to lead to subsequent scarring.

Treatment in children and adults

In children and most adults, without treatment, the symptoms of molluscum contagiosum go away on their own once antiviral immunity is established. Term - in 4-6 months, sometimes 1-2 years.

It is possible to treat mollusks on the body only for medical reasons: trauma, inflammation. Cosmetic indications - exclusively at the request of the patient.

Directions for the treatment of molluscum contagiosum:

1) Removal of formations

2) Local treatment

3) General treatment

4) Treatment of complications (inflammation, allergies, skin ulceration)

Molluscum Removal

According to most dermatologists, the removal of skin rashes is by far the most effective method skin mollusk treatment.

1) Removal with tweezers or a surgical spoon (curette)

• Previously, the doctor performs local anesthesia of the skin with Emla cream or another surface anesthetic.
• The doctor squeezes the jaws of the tweezers and squeezes out the contents of the papule (as in the video below). If necessary, the resulting small cavity is also scraped out with tweezers or exfoliated with a curette (Volkmann's sharp spoon).
  If the papules are small, then no scraping is needed.
• After that, the doctor carefully removes the curdled masses and cauterizes the resulting wound with 3% hydrogen peroxide and tincture of iodine.
• Some patients at home perform self-opening of mollusk papules with a needle, as in this video.
  We remind you that it is not recommended to do it yourself. Wiping the skin with a napkin, thereby spreading and rubbing the viruses into neighboring areas of the skin, you thereby only spread the infection even further.
• After removing the mollusk, the wound must be treated with iodine or brilliant green once a day for another 3 days.
• With proper removal of elements of molluscum contagiosum, no scars remain on the skin.

2) Electrocoagulation

The doctor cauterizes the papule with an electrocoagulator (electric knife). Subsequently, after such treatment, scars may remain.

3) Liquid nitrogen (cryolysis) -

The doctor cauterizes the papule with liquid nitrogen. Cells with the virus are frozen and die. With proper cryodestruction, there are no scars on the skin. But the procedure can be painful.

4) Laser -

The doctor vaporizes the molluscum papule with a laser beam. It also doesn't leave scars.

Local treatment

Antiviral creams and ointments are used:

• viferon ointment,
• 3% oxolinic ointment,
• 1% gel viru-merz serol,
• Infagel,
• Ointment acyclovir,
• Virolex ointment,
• Gripferon spray.

General treatment

Stimulation of general immunity and antiviral drugs.

• isoprinosine tablets ()
• viferon in candles,
• polyoxidonium in candles,
• anaferon for children in tablets,
• other interferon preparations.

Treatment of complications

A complex of drugs is used to relieve complications:

• antibiotic ointments - for the treatment of bacterial inflammation,
• antihistamines to reduce an allergic skin reaction.

Folk methods at home

Folk remedies against molluscum contagiosum are ineffective. Therefore, they cannot be recommended by a dermatologist for treatment. this disease neither in children nor in adults.

Remember: the cause of the mollusk is a virus, a predisposing factor is a decrease in immunity.
Therefore, from folk methods general immunity-strengthening techniques and antiviral agents should be used.

1) Increase immunity by natural methods.

2) Antiviral plants.

• Garlic.
  Crush a clove of garlic in a garlic press and put it on the papules for a few minutes. There will be a slight sting.
  Apply 3-4 times a day also during the entire period of rashes.
  You can not apply, but simply lubricate the skin.
• Lubrication of papules with a solution of potassium permanganate, fucorcin, an alcohol solution of iodine or brilliant green.
  An ineffective method, since such antiseptics have practically no effect on the molluscum contagiosum virus. The only use of such solutions is to lubricate wounds at home after removing the mollusks with tweezers or a curette.
• Celandine. Celandine juice is poisonous, has antiviral and antitumor effects.
  Mollusks are smeared with celandine juice 3-4 times a day throughout the entire period of skin rashes.
• Lubrication of papules with juice from bird cherry leaves, infusion of succession, calendula - these folk remedies have a very weak effect.
• Super cleaner, molustin and molutrex.
  In Russia, a lotion called Molyustin is sold. The drug is not a drug. This is a mixture of plant extracts + potassium alkali. Causes a chemical burn of the skin, as a result of which the papules of the mollusk die off. Efficiency in molluscum contagiosum is low.

  MOLUTREX is the French analogue of molustin. In fact, MOLUTREX is pure potassium hydroxide, without additives, that is, caustic alkali, the French analogue of Super celandine. Causes chemical skin burns. Does not work on viruses.

  Super celandine is a completely different drug than the herb celandine. This is a set of alkalis. It leads to a chemical burn of the skin, as a result of which the papules of the mollusk die off.

  When treating at home with super celandine, molutrex and molustin, you should be extremely careful not to cause a deep skin burn and scarring afterwards. You can not use cauterizing preparations to remove mollusks on the face, on the labia in women and the penis in men.

Prevention

The main thing that should be applied constantly is the prevention of molluscum contagiosum.

• strengthening immune system natural methods,
• you can not take a hot bath - you can only shower,
• you can’t rub the body with a washcloth - soap yourself only with your hands,
• you can not rub the body with a towel - just blot,
• you can’t open skin papules yourself, so as not to spread the infection to other areas of the skin,
• a patient with molluscs on the body should be provided with separate personal hygiene items and bed linen. Wash his clothes separately. Thoroughly steam the laundry with an iron,
• always use only personal hygiene items!

Attention: if the doctor did not answer your question, then the answer is already on the pages of the site. Use the search on the site.

Shellfish are a relatively new product novelty for our region. In the food market, they are represented by a large assortment of armored and non-armored representatives. Due to their exquisite taste and ease of preparation, they are increasingly used in cooking.

Often they are presented in the form of restaurant dishes, but even non-professional chefs can cook them. Hot and spicy spices, as well as a variety of sauces are used to give and enhance their taste.

Calorie content of shellfish

All types of shellfish are low-calorie products. Her averages are 88 calories. The lowest calorie content of trumpeter meat is 23 calories. rises the energy value from its technology of preparation. So, the highest caloric content is characterized by canned, breaded clams - 231 kcal.

Concerning nutritional value, it is worth noting in their composition a high protein content of 21.8 grams. The concentration of fats and carbohydrates depends on their types and is 0.1 - 11.8 g and 0 - 15.6 g, respectively.

The benefits of shellfish

Any of the types of mollusks has a high therapeutic effect on the body as a whole. This is guaranteed by the high concentration of useful substances in their composition, under the influence of which:

• Increases male potency.
• The activity of the nervous and circulatory systems is stabilized.
• Improves blood formation and the condition of the skin.
• The coordinated work of all organs and systems is ensured.
• The processes of cell division and their regeneration are activated.
• Harmful substances are removed from the body.

Why are shellfish dangerous?

Eating any type of molluscs is with extreme caution, as they can cause an allergic reaction of any intensity, which in rare cases can result in swelling of the larynx and even fainting. It is also not recommended to include shellfish in your diet in the presence of blood clotting disorders.

The danger also lies in the fact that mollusks are a strong sorbent, therefore, they may contain different kinds heavy metals, carcinogens and radioactive components. They can also cause severe poisoning due to the presence of pathogenic bacteria in them.

	Product	Kcal	Proteins, g	Fats, g	Ang, g
	Sea scallop fillet	88	17,5	2
	Mollusk rapana	76,7	16,7	1,1
	Snail, raw	90	16,1	1,4	2
	Trumpeter, species not specified, raw	137	23,84	0,4	7,76
	Trumpeter, type not specified, steamed	275	47,68	0,8	15,52
	Octopus, raw	82	14,91	1,04	2,2
	Steamed octopus	164	29,82	2,08	4,4
	Sea scallop, all kinds, raw	88	16,78	0,76	2,36
	Sea scallop, all types, fried in breadcrumbs	215	18,07	10,94	10,13
	Scallop, all kinds, artificial, made from surimi	99	12,77	0,41	10,62
	Mollusk bivalve, all kinds, raw	86	14,67	0,96	3,57
	Shellfish bivalve, all types, steamed	148	25,55	1,95	5,13
	Bivalve mollusk, all types, fried in breadcrumbs	202	14,24	11,15	10,33
	Mollusk bivalve, all kinds, canned, dry product without marinade	148	25,55	1,95	5,13
	Mollusk bivalve, all kinds, canned, with marinade	2	0,4	0,02	0,1
	Mollusk gastropod, baked or fried over an open fire	130	26,3	1,2	1,7
	Cuttlefish, all kinds, raw	79	16,24	0,7	0,82
	Cuttlefish, all types, steamed	158	32,48	1,4	1,64
	Scallop (bay and sea), steamed	112	23,2	1,4
	Haliotis, all kinds, raw	105	17,1	0,76	6,01
	Haliotis, all kinds, fried	189	19,63	6,78	11,05
	Tridacna clam (sea cicada)	77	16,7	1,1	0,5
	Venus clam (vongole)	86	14,67	0,96	3,57
	mini octopuses	82	14,91	1,04	2,2
	abalone	0,1	0	0	0