To help us introduce Trichinellosis, we thought we’d use this handy chart:

We had no idea what this chart meant, so we went to the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) website for some clarification.  Trichinellosis is a cycle of disease.  For the patient, it begins when he or she consumes meat of an animal infected with Trichinella cysts.  Trichinella is a parasitic worm that enters the body of its host through ingestion.  The worm’s larvae are in the form of round cysts with a hard outer shell.  When an animal eats infected meat, the cystic shell dissolves in stomach acid and the baby worm is released into the intestinal tract and become mature within 1-2 days.  Once the mature worm mates, it lays its eggs which develop into immature worms.  The young worms then travel through the host’s and are carried into the muscle tissue where they curl up and become cysts.  When the host tissue (i.e. contaminated pork) is consumed, the cycle begins anew.  Gross, right?  Here are some additional facts from the CDC:

• What is Trichinellosis? Trichinellosis, or Trichinosis, is a disease caused by eating undercooked meat of animals infected with the larvae of the worm Trichinella.  Although this is most common in carnivorous (meat-eating) wild animals, Trichinellosis can also be contracted through domestically-raised pigs.
• What are the symptoms? In the first stages of infection (in the majority of cases) fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain are all common.  The second phase of symptoms will often add chills, eye swelling, aching joints, muscle pain, itchy skin, and constipation to the list.  For patients who contract a larger infection labored breathing and coordination problems are possible.  Death is rare, but can occur.  Generally symptoms subside in a few months.
• How soon to symptoms appear? Abdominal symptoms can appear within 1-2 days, whereas other symptoms may take as much as 8 weeks to become apparent after eating infected meat.  Severity of symptoms depends on how many Trichinella worms were ingested.
• Am I at risk for Trichinellosis? Do you eat raw or undercooked meat from wild animals such as bears, pigs, felines (cougars), foxes, dogs, horses, seals, or walruses?  Then yes, you are at risk.
• Is Trichinellosis common in the United States? Trichinellosis used to be very common in the US because of undercooked pork.  Today, however, infection is rare.  Infection in the US has decreased due in part to refrigeration and in part to new regulations making it illegal to feed raw meat to hogs.

For more information about Trichinellosis, visit the CDC website.