Trichinellosis
I dare not eat / A dead pig's meat / Though not of creed of Moses / For, oh, I fear / From what I hear, / That horrid trichinosis - Anonymous
.jpg "Trichinellosis")
image by: Richard Lagrimas
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Who Knew Ice Cream Could Cure Trichinosis?
The fire fizzled out when it started to rain. Six hours later we eat the way-too-pink-mostly-raw pork chops anyway. I'm wondering when the full-blown trichinosis kicks in, will be too late to save us because we're at least 2 hours away from a hospital? And who will drive? Because on top of the trichinosis, I don't have my driving glasses. I dont' want to even think about Rob's reaction when everyone starts projectile vomiting all over the interior of the Volvo.
Maybe we should just crawl into the tent and die peacefully without the hub bub of doctors and emergency rooms? Should I leave a note for my parents? What should I say? "I'm sorry, I know we shouldn't have eaten the raw pork…
Resources
What Will Happen If You Eat Undercooked Bacon?
Eating uncooked bacon can expose you to bacteria as well as parasites and can cause either bacterial infections or trichinellosis, also called trichinosis, a parasitic infection. Bacterial infections and trichinellosis can both cause gastrointestinal symptoms.
Demand Grows for Hogs That Are Raised Humanely Outdoors
Farmers raising pastured pigs acknowledge that pigs raised outdoors have a higher risk of coming into contact with rodents and other animals that carry the pathogen for trichinosis (one of Wilbur’s closest friends in “Charlotte’s Web” was Templeton the rat). That said, the number of cases of trichinosis in the United States has plummeted as the number of pastured pigs has increased, with most cases attributable to consumption of meat from other wild animals like bears.
Free-Range Trichinosis
For many years, the pork industry has been assuring cooks that a little pink in the pork is fine. Trichinosis, which can be deadly, was assumed to be history.
Japan Says Sayonara to Raw Pork
While people in the West are slowly warming to the idea of medium-rare swine, Japan's ministry of health has announced a ban on restaurants serving raw or undercooked pork.
Pork, politics, and public health
Since few Americans ate raw pork, trichinosis was never a big problem in the United States. Just to be safe, however, the U.S. Department of Agriculture advised, time and again, that pork should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160° Fahrenheit. If thermometers were not available, boiling pork for 15 minutes per pound in summer (or 18 minutes per pound in winter) would prevent trichinosis.
The Meat Myth: Free-Range Isn't Always Safer
Factory-farmed pork is hardly an ideal food—but pigs from small farms might be more likely to make you sick.
Who Knew Ice Cream Could Cure Trichinosis?
While I'm contemplating all of this trichinosis business – the fact that I’m starting to develop stomach cramps, Oskar's looking pale and Isla hasn’t yelled in over 5 minutes which for sure means she’s really sick...
The Trichinella Page
The domestic pig is the main reservoir host for T. spiralis. This species is significantly higher in prevalence in people living in certain parts of Europe, Asia, and Southeast Asia than in the United States. It is now considered endemic in Japan and China.
BarfBlog
barfblog.com is where Drs. Powell, Chapman, Hubbell and assorted food safety friends offer evidence-based opinions on current food safety issues. Opinions must be evidence-based – with references – reliable and relevant. The barfblog authors edit each other, often viciously.
CDC
People acquire trichinellosis by consuming raw or undercooked meat infected with the Trichinella parasite, particularly wild game meat or pork. Even tasting very small amounts of undercooked meat during preparation or cooking puts you at risk for infection. Outbreaks occur in settings where multiple people consume the same Trichinella-infected meat.
MedicineNet
There are no accurate tests for the early phase of infection of the intestines. The history of eating raw or undercooked meat could be the first clue. Unfortunately, most people infected do not seek physician help during the relatively short intestinal phase.
New Saint John's Health
Trichinella species are found world wide and infect a wide variety of animal hosts, mostly carnivorous and omnivorous wild mammals, especially those that scavenge, such as foxes, bears, pigs and wild boar.
Patient
Mild infections are usually asymptomatic. Heavy infection causes gastrointestinal symptoms (diarrhoea, abdominal pain, vomiting) within 1-2 days of infection. Larval migration into muscle tissues (one week after infection) can cause periorbital and facial oedema, conjunctivitis, headaches, fever, joint and muscle pains, petechiae and pruritus.
Stanford.edu
TRICHINOSIS is a disease that is present around most parts of the world, from North America and Europe, to Japan, China and tropical Africa. Some regions that are not really affected are Puerto Rico and Australia. Highlighting the incidences of transmission through uncooked portions of meat, specifically pork, Trichinosis impacts the realm of food and culture for its specific regions.
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