About this topic
Trichina worm infection is also called trichinosis. A tiny round worm causes this infection. It can affect your belly and bowels. It can also affect your muscles. Wild animals often have this worm in their muscles. You get this infection by eating raw or undercooked meat. ‚
What are the causes?
This illness is caused by a roundworm called Trichinella spiralis. This worm is most often carried by rodents. When a wild animal eats a rodent, it becomes infected. The worms move from the animals bowels into the muscles and form cysts. The worms can live in the cysts for a long time. When another animal or you eat this meat, you can become infected. Your stomach juices break down the cysts in the meat, releasing the worms in your body. The worms mature and mate. The female worms make larvae or immature worms. These go through the wall of your stomach and into your bloodstream. They can also burrow in your muscles. You cannot get this illness from some other person. ‚
What can make this more likely to happen?
- Eating raw or undercooked meat of pigs or wild game animals, like bear, wild boar, deer, moose, fox, or wolf
- Having a weak immune system. Your immune system may be weak if you have HIV. It is also weak if you take chemo or have had an organ transplant.
What are the main signs?
Often this illness is not serious and gets better on its own. You may start to see signs 1 to 2 days after eating raw or undercooked meat. These include: ‚
- Belly pain and cramps
- Loose bowel movement
- Fever
- Weakness
- Upset stomach and throwing up
You may see more signs 2 to 8 weeks later. These include: ‚
- Headache
- Muscle and joint pain
- Eye or facial swelling
- Itchy skin
- Headache
- Cough
How does the doctor diagnose this health problem?
The doctor will do an exam and ask about your history. Your doctor may also ask of your recent travels and food that you ate. You may need to have tests like: ‚
How does the doctor treat this health problem?
This infection needs treatment right away. The doctor will give drugs to kill all of the worms. Once the worms are in the muscles, treatment may only be to help with your pain. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Kill the worms
- Ease pain
- Control muscle swelling
What problems could happen?
In severe infection, worms may travel to other parts of the body. You may have problems like: ‚
- Body or muscle coordination problems
- Swelling of the heart, brain, or kidneys
- Irregular beating of the heart
- Lung infection
- In rare cases, death
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Cook all meat and wild game meat properly. Make sure that the meat is well done and no trace of pink is in the meat.
- Do not sample the meat until it is cooked.
- Use a food thermometer to monitor properly the temperature of the meat. Most meat should be cooked to temperatures of 145 ‚ °F (63 ‚ °C) to 165 ‚ °F (74 ‚ °C).
- Worms in meat are only killed by cooking to a proper temperature. They are NOT killed by:
- Curing
- Drying
- Smoking
- Freezing
- Using a microwave
- Clean meat cutters or grinders well after each use.
Where can I learn more?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ‚
http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/trichinellosis/gen_info/faqs.html ‚
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases ‚
http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/trichinosis/Pages/Default.aspx ‚
United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service ‚
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/foodborne-illness-and-disease/parasites-and-foodborne-illness ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
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Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚