Trichinellosis

A disease, also known as trichinosis, that comes from eating raw or undercooked pork or wild game that is infected with the larvae of a worm called Trichinella. The initial symptoms of the disease are abdominal discomfort, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue and fever. Next usually come headaches, fevers, chills, cough, eye swelling, aching joint muscle pains, itchy skin, diarrhea, or constipation. With heavy infection, patients may experience difficulty coordinating movements and have heart and breathing problems. In severe cases, death can occur. The severity of symptoms depends on the number of infectious worms consumed in meat. To avoid trichinosis: Cook meat until the juices run clear or to an internal temperature of 170 degrees F (77 degrees C). Freeze pork less than 6 inches (15 cm) thick for 20 days at 5 degrees F (-15 degrees C) to kill any worms. Cook wild game meat thoroughly. (Freezing wild game meats, unlike freezing pork products, even for long periods of time, may not effectively kill all worms.) Cook all meat fed to pigs or other wild animals and do not allow hogs to eat uncooked carcasses of other animals, including rats (which may be infected with trichinosis). Clean meat grinders thoroughly if you prepare your own ground meats. Remember that curing (salting), drying, smoking, or microwaving meat does not consistently kill infective worms. If you think you may have trichinosis, seek medical attention.

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SYN: trichinosis.

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trich·i·nel·lo·sis (trik″ĭ-nə-loґsis) trichinosis.