Trichinosis (cont.)
What are the risk factors for getting trichinosis?
The major risk factor for contracting trichinosis is eating raw or undercooked pork or wild game such as bear meat, wild boar meat, or other carnivore or omnivore meat. The risk of developing infection is related to the amount of larvae ingested. About 10 larvae per gram of meat (muscle) ingested result in a mild infection, about 50-500 result in a moderate infection while over 1,000 result in a severe infection. Consequently, reducing or eliminating the number of larvae in infected meat reduces both the risk and severity of infection. This is accomplished by cooking meat to a uniform temperature of 70 degrees
Celsius (158 degrees Fahrenheit) or higher for at least a few minutes to kill encysted larvae. Freezing of pork meat to a temperature of -30 degrees
Celsius (-22 degrees Fahrenheit) for one week reportedly kills the encysted larvae. However, this freezing technique for wild game meat may not be effective, as
Trichinella in wild animals is usually not as susceptible to freeze killing. Other cooking methods such as microwaving, smoking, or salting meat often fail to kill the encysted larvae and thus the risk of getting
trichinosis from meat treated by these methods is increased.
Is trichinosis a common disease?
Trichinosis is a common disease in many wild carnivorous and omnivorous animals worldwide, except for Australia. Because of strict measures by the meat (pork) industry and public-health authorities, especially in developed countries, the incidence of disease in humans has dropped dramatically in the last few decades. For example, the United States has averaged only about 12-20 cases per year in the last two decades. However, there are outbreaks that occur sporadically in the world when meat (especially pork) is improperly cooked or is contaminated with undercooked or raw wild-game meat. If the source of the outbreak is a meat supplier, hundreds of people can be infected as was the situation that occurred in Poland in 2007.
Where can I get more information on trichinosis?
http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/dpdx/HTML/Image_Library.htm
http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/dpdx/HTML/Trichinellosis.htm
http://www.trichinella.org/index.htm
http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ew/2007/070719.asp#2
http://www.trichinella.org/bio_nursecell.htm
- Trichinosis is caused by eating raw or undercooked pork and wild
game.
- The contaminated meat is infected with the larvae of a worm
called Trichinella spiralis.
- The initial symptoms of trichinosis are abdominal discomfort,
nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue, and fever.
- The severity of symptoms depends on the number of infectious
worms consumed in the meat.
- Never eat raw or undercooked pork or wild game.
- If you think you may have trichinosis, seek medical
attention.
Last Editorial Review: 4/15/2008
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