Trichinosis
Click on Image for the Trichinosis Life Cycle
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.
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