Trichinellosis

Trichinellosis is a parasitic disease caused by Trichinella spiralis and T. pseudospiralis. Human infection can occur by eating raw or insufficiently heat-treated meat of pigs, as well as wild animals: wild boar, bear, etc., infected with Trichinella pseudospiralis. Dog meat can also be a source of human infection. Outbreaks of trichinellosis associated with consumption of dog meat in the form of kebabs cooked by unscrupulous persons have been occasionally reported in Kazakhstan.

The incubation (latent) period from the time infected meat is consumed can be from a week to a month. Trichinella larvae, once in the intestines, can migrate throughout the body, causing fever, dizziness and muscle aches and pains. It is often accompanied by puffiness of the face, especially eyelids and various allergic rashes. In severe forms, the larvae can infect the brain, causing convulsions, hallucinations and visual impairment.  This can often be fatal.

Diagnosis of Trichinellosis is based on the clinical picture of the disease and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which detects antibodies in the blood to trichinellae. This method is one of the most reliable and allows detecting the disease in its early stages. The ELISA method of Trichinellosis diagnosis is available in all treatment rooms of the OLYMP СDL branches.

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Trichinellosis parasites helminths