However, infection is now relatively rare. Trichinellosis used to be more common and was usually caused by ingestion of undercooked pork. Is trichinellosis common in the United States? 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 results. Several safe and effective prescription drugs are available to treat trichinellosis. How is trichinellosis infection diagnosed?Ī blood test or muscle biopsy can show if you have 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. What should I do if I think I have trichinellosis? ![]() Infection can only occur by eating raw or undercooked meat containing Trichinella worms. If you eat raw or undercooked meats, particularly bear, pork, wild feline (such as a cougar), fox, 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). Eggs 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. How does infection occur in humans and animals? 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 number of infectious worms consumed in meat. Further symptoms usually start 2–8 weeks after eating contaminated meat. How soon after infection will symptoms appear?Ībdominal 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 joints 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 signs, symptoms, severity and duration of trichinellosis vary. What are the signs and symptoms of a trichinellosis? ![]() 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.
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