Acute hepatitis and renal failure following ingestion of raw carp gallbladders--Maryland and Pennsylvania, 1991 and 1994.

In some cultures, eating gallbladders from certain species of snakes, birds, or fish is believed to improve health. A syndrome of acute hepatitis and renal failure following the ingestion of raw carp gallbladders has been described previously among persons living in Asia (1-4). This report summarizes two cases of this syndrome that occurred in residents of Pennsylvania who had eaten the raw bile and gallbladders of carp caught in Maryland.