Trichinellosis

Trichinella is an infection with no clinical signs, but is of great zoonotic importance.

Alternative names: pork worm, Trichinella spiralis, Trichinella spp, Trichinosis, trichiniasis

In North America and Europe trichinosis is caused mainly by the parasite Trichinella spiralis although there are other species of Trichinella in different regions of the world. The infection causes muscle cysts. These cysts are infectious and, if ingested by other animals or humans, can cause diarrhea and abdominal pain. The disease in humans can progress and be very painful causing symptoms of the central nervous system.

• No clinical signs.

Consumption of infected meat, especially infected pork, but also could also be caused by consuming rat carcasses. Feeding garbage or food scraps to pigs.

There are serological tests. At the slaughterhouse, an inspection is done to look for cysts by examining muscle samples (trichinoscopic examination), or muscle digested by enzymes (artificial digestion), under the microscope.

• There is no treatment for affected animals.
• Prevent consumption of infected meat or garbage.
• Rat control.