Abstract

Trichinellosis is a parasitic zoonosis caused by Trichinella following ingestion of raw or under cooked meat containing Trichinella larvae. Nematode worms of the genus Trichinella are one of the most prevalent zoonotic pathogens in the world. The parasite infects domestic and wild animals and has a worldwide distribution. The life cycle of the parasite consists of a domestic cycle in mainly pigs and a sylvatic cycle in a wider range of animals such as bears and wild boar. Humans become infected after eating raw or undercooked meat from domestic pigs, horses or game containing Trichinella larvae. There are twelve genotypes within the genus Trichinella, eight of which have been designated as species from which T.spiralis is the most pathogenic one. Host animals ingesting even high numbers of Trichinella larvae from infectious meat will not develop clinical symptoms. In humans, the clinical picture is usually illustrated by an intestinal stage within the first or second week after infection and later muscular stage with periorbital oedema, myalgia or muscle weakness as the major symptoms. The severity of the clinical course depends firstly on parasitic factors, such as the species implicated and the number of infective larvae ingested, and secondly on host factors, such as sex, age, and immune status. In practice, treatment with anthelmintics and immunosuppressive drugs is used only with human patients, not with animals. Trichinella infection in humans is strongly associated with the consumption of raw or undercooked meat; thus, cultural factors such as traditional dishes based on raw or undercooked meat or meat-derived products. © 2020, Online Journal of Animal and Feed Research. All Rights Reserved