Acute Communicable Disease Control

County of Los Angeles
Department of Public Health
Acute Communicable Disease Control
313 N. Figueroa Street, #212
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: (213) 240-7941
Fax: (213) 482-4856
Email:acdc2@ph.lacounty.gov

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Trichinosis

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.

• ACDC: A Manual of Departmental Rules, Regulations and Control Procedures (B73) 
• LAC Report Form: Trichinosis  
  • LAC: ACDC's Epidemiologic Case History Forms Web Page
  • LAC: Reported Cases of Selected Diseases (2010-2015) 
  • LAC: Reported Cases of Selected Diseases (2004-2009) 
  • LAC: Reported Cases of Selected Diseases (1998-2003) 
• ACDC: Food and Water Safety Page

Additional Resources

• CDC: Trichinosis
• MedicineNet.com: Definition of Trichinellosis