Health Encyclopedia

Trichinosis

Definition

Trichinosis is an infection due to the roundworm Trichinella spiralis.

Alternative Names

Trichiniasis; Trichinellosis

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Trichinosis is a disease caused by eating undercooked meat, which contains cysts of Trichinella spiralis. Trichinella spiralis can be found in pork, bear, fox, rat, horse, and lion meat.

Wild animals, especially carnivores (meat eaters) or omnivores (animals that eat both meat and plants), should be considered a possible source of roundworm disease. Domestic meat animals raised specifically for eating under USDA guidelines and inspection can be considered safe.

Trichinosis is a common infection worldwide, but it is seldom seen in the United States because of strict rules regarding the feeding of domestic animals and meat-processing inspections.

When a person eats meat from an infected animal, Trichinella cysts break open in the intestines and grow into adult roundworms.

The roundworms produce other worms that move through the gut wall and into the bloodstream. These organisms tend to invade muscle tissues, including the heart and diaphragm (the breathing muscle under the lungs). They can also affect the lungs and brain.

There are approximately 40 cases of trichinosis each year in the United States.

Symptoms

Abdominal discomfort
Cramping
Diarrhea
Muscle pain (especially muscle pain with breathing, chewing, or using large muscles)
Fever

Signs and tests

The patients may have a history of having eaten rare or uncooked pork. Tests to diagnose this condition include:

Treatment

Mebendazole or albendazole can be used to treat infections in the intestines. There is no specific treatment for trichinosis once the larvae have invaded the muscles. Pain killers can help relieve the muscle soreness.

Expectations (prognosis)

Most people with trichinosis have no symptoms and their infection is self-limited (resolves on its own). More severe infections may be more difficult to treat, especially if the lungs, the heart, or the brain is involved.

Complications

Arrhythmias from heart inflammation (myocarditis)
Heart failure
Encephalitis
Pneumonia

Calling your health care provider

Call your health provider if you have symptoms suggestive of trichinosis and a recent history of eating undercooked or raw meat that might have been contaminated.

Prevention

Pork and meat from wild animals should be cooked until well done. Freezing at subzero temperatures (Fahrenheit) for 3 to 4 weeks will kill the organism. Smoking, salting, or drying meat are not reliable methods of preventing this infections.

Review Date:10/9/2006
Reviewed By:D. Scott Smith, M.D., MSc, DTM&H, Chief of Infectious Disease & Geographic Medicine, Kaiser Redwood City, CA & Adjunct Assistant Professor, Stanford University. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

ADAM Quality A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The Agency for Health Care Administration (Agency) and this website do not claim the information on, or referred to by, this site is error free. This site may include links to websites of other government agencies or private groups. Our Agency and this website do not control such sites and are not responsible for their content. Reference to or links to any other group, product, service, or information does not mean our Agency or this website approves of that group, product, service, or information.

Additionally, while health information provided through this website may be a valuable resource for the public, it is not designed to offer medical advice. Talk with your doctor about medical care questions you may have.