

Curing saltingdrying, smoking, or microwaving meat alone does not consistently kill infective worms parasite infection game jerky and sausage were the cause of many cases of trichinellosis reported to CDC in recent years. On This What is trichinellosis? What are the s and symptoms of a trichinellosis? How soon after infection will symptoms appear? How does infection occur in humans and animals? Am I at risk for trichinellosis? Can I spread trichinellosis to others? What should I do if I think I have trichinellosis? How is trichinellosis infection diagnosed? How is trichinellosis infection treated? Is trichinellosis common in the United States? How can I prevent trichinellosis? The best way to prevent trichinellosis is to cook meat to safe temperatures external icon external icon.Ī food thermometer should be used to measure the internal temperature of cooked meat. Parasites - Trichinellosis also known as Trichinosis. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to options Skip directly to A-Z link. To help prevent Trichinella infection in animal populations, do not allow pigs or wild animals to eat uncooked meat, scraps, or carcasses of any animals, including rats, which may be infected with Trichinella. Cases are less commonly associated with pork products and more often associated with eating raw or undercooked wild game meats. The of cases decreased beginning in the midth century because of legislation prohibiting the feeding of raw-meat garbage to hogs, commercial and home freezing of pork, and the public awareness of the danger of eating raw or undercooked pork products. However, infection is now relatively rare.ĭuring -, 16 cases were reported per year on average. Trichinellosis used to be more common and was usually caused by ingestion of undercooked pork. Treatment should begin as soon as possible and the decision to treat is based upon symptoms, exposure to raw or undercooked meat, and laboratory test. Several safe and effective prescription drugs are available to treat trichinellosis. If you have eaten raw or undercooked meat, you should tell your health care provider. See your health care provider who can order tests and treat symptoms of trichinellosis. Infection can only occur by parasite infection game raw or undercooked meat containing Trichinella worms. If you eat raw or undercooked meats, particularly bear, pork, wild feline such as a cougarfox, dog, wolf, horse, seal, or walrus, you are at risk for trichinellosis. The life cycle repeats when meat containing these encysted worms is consumed by another human or animal.

Within the muscles, the worms curl into a ball and encyst become enclosed in a capsule. After mating, adult females lay eggs.Įggs develop into immature worms, travel through the arteries, and are transported to muscles. The worms pass into the small intestine and, in 1-2 days, become mature. When a human or animal eats meat that contains infective Trichinella larvae, the acid in the stomach dissolves the hard covering of the cyst around the larvae and releases the worms. Often, mild cases of trichinellosis are never specifically diagnosed and are assumed to be the flu or other common illnesses.

Symptoms may range from very mild to severe and relate to the of infectious worms consumed in meat. Further symptoms usually start 2-8 weeks after eating contaminated meat. Abdominal symptoms can occur 1-2 days after infection. Fatigue, weakness, muscle pain, and diarrhea may last for months. In severe cases, death can occur.įor mild to moderate infections, most symptoms subside within a few months. If the infection is heavy, patients may experience difficulty coordinating movements, and have heart and breathing problems. Headaches, fevers, chills, cough, swelling of the face and eyes, aching ts and muscle pains, itchy skin, diarrhea, or constipation may follow the first symptoms. Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue, fever, and abdominal discomfort are often the first symptoms of trichinellosis. The s, symptoms, severity and duration of trichinellosis vary. Infection occurs commonly in certain wild carnivorous meat-eating animals such as bear or cougar, or omnivorous meat and plant-eating animals such as domestic pigs or wild boar. Trichinellosis, also called trichinosis, is caused by eating raw or undercooked meat of animals infected with the larvae of a species of worm called Trichinella.
