Trichinosis is a disease caused by the roundworm (nematode) called Trichinella spiralis (T. spiralis). It is readily avoided by proper handling and cooking of certain meats, particularly pork products.
The life cycle of Trichinella spiralis includes several different stages. The adult worm lives in the intestinal lining of such carnivorous animals as swine, bears, walrus, and rodents. After mating, the male worm dies, while the female worm goes on to develop the offspring. The embryonic stage, a stage often occurring after birth in many nematode species, occurs within the uterus of the female T.…
A human host who eats T. spiralis infected meat may experience symptoms to a varying degree. If the meat ingested has only a few cysts, then the human host's "worm burden" is said to be relatively small, so that symptomatology will be relatively moderate. In fact, many infections are subclinical (exhibiting such mild symptoms as to remain undiagnosed). In a host with a greater…
Prevention of trichinosis is relatively simple. Swine should be fed only grain or cooked garbage; uncooked garbage may contain contaminated pork scraps. Meats of animals prone to trichinosis infection should be cooked thoroughly, so that no pink is present. Freezing at an adequately low temperature 5°F (-15°C) for one week or 0°F (-18°C) for three weeks can kill most en…
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