As I was researching dysentery (covered last year), I saw some reference to trichinosis. Everybody’s heard of it. We all know that if you don’t cook your pork well enough, you’ll get it. At least, that’s what I heard all my life. And yet, I couldn’t recall seeing any mention of it in the off-grid medical texts. Only one of my references covered it in any detail. The Ship’s Medicine Chest and Medical Aid at Sea contained the following paragraph:
Trichina [that’s the name of the worm/parasite]. This infection called trichinosis is contracted by eating undercooked pork contaminated with the trichina worm. The worms burrow through the bowel wall and, eventually, reach the muscles where they form small cysts. Usually, the first symptom is swelling (edema) of the upper eyelids, followed by muscular soreness and pain, profuse sweating, thirst, chills, weakness, fever, and collapse. A mild infection, however, may go unrecognized.[1]
RISK FACTORS
Trichinosis (actually, they’ve changed the name to trichinellosis, but I only hear people say trichinosis, so that’s what I’ll use) comes from eating undercooked meat, usually from domesticated pigs.[2] There are only about a dozen cases of trichinosis per year in the US, and about 10,000 worldwide.[3] With so few cases, one might think our time could be spent covering more common issues. And then we remember that the situation may change when life gets sporty. Because pigs aren’t the only source of trichinosis. How else can people get this parasite? By eating wild game, specifically those animals that eat meat, like:
SYMPTOMS
In some cases, there are no symptoms. Infections with mild symptoms are often undiagnosed or mistaken for influenza. In mild and moderate cases, symptoms often resolve without any treatment.[11] Trichinosis is not spread from person to person. If several individuals get sick at the same time and ate meat from the same animal, suspect trichinosis.[12] If examining the patient’s stool looking for clues to his illness, note that trichina worms are never seen in the stool.[13]
Those who have moderate to severe cases may experience the following:
- Starting 1-2 days after exposure[14] (some say this period is wider, just a few hours to 5 days[15])
- About 1-2 weeks after exposure[21]
Severe infestations may cause difficulty in coordinating movements, heart and breathing problems, and even death.[41]
TREATMENT
Trichinosis may resolve without medication. Recovery is often slow even with a dewormer like mebendazole or albendazole.[42] [43] Severe cases may take 3-4 weeks to resolve.[44]
PREVENTION
- Wash hands thoroughly with warm water and soap before and after handling raw meat.[45]
- Freeze pork less than 6” thick for 20 days at 5°F to kill any worms.[46]
- Clean meat grinders and other tools thoroughly after each use.[47]
- Homemade sausage and jerky have caused many past cases of trichinellosis. [48]
- Only eat meat that has been well cooked.[49]
- Curing, drying, and smoking do not consistently kill the trichina larvae. [50]
- Do not feed uncooked meat or scraps to animals.[51] [52]
[1] Ship’s Medicine Chest and Medical Aid at Sea, 1978, 169.
[2] Joseph Alton, et al., Survival Medicine Handbook, 4th Edition, 2021, 285.
[3] https://www.cdc.gov/trichinellosis/about/
[4] https://www.cdc.gov/trichinellosis/about/
[5] https://www.cdc.gov/trichinellosis/about/
[6] https://www.cdc.gov/trichinellosis/about/
[7] https://www.cdc.gov/trichinellosis/about/
[8] https://www.cdc.gov/trichinellosis/about/
[9] https://www.cdc.gov/trichinellosis/about/
[10] https://www.cdc.gov/trichinellosis/about/
[11] https://www.cdc.gov/trichinellosis/symptoms/index.html
[12] David Werner, Where There Is No Doctor, 1996, 144.
[13] David Werner, Where There Is No Doctor, 1996, 144.
[14] Joseph Alton, et al., Survival Medicine Handbook, 4th Edition, 2021, 285.
[15] David Werner, Where There Is No Doctor, 1996, 144.
[16] Joseph Alton, et al., Survival Medicine Handbook, 4th Edition, 2021, 285.
[17] https://www.cdc.gov/trichinellosis/about/
[18] https://www.cdc.gov/trichinellosis/about/
[19] https://www.cdc.gov/trichinellosis/about/
[20] https://www.cdc.gov/trichinellosis/symptoms/index.html
[21] Joseph Alton, et al., Survival Medicine Handbook, 4th Edition, 2021, 285.
[22] https://www.cdc.gov/trichinellosis/about/
[23] David Werner, Where There Is No Doctor, 1996, 144.
[24] https://www.cdc.gov/trichinellosis/about/
[25] https://www.cdc.gov/trichinellosis/about/
[26] Joseph Alton, et al., Survival Medicine Handbook, 4th Edition, 2021, 285.
[27] https://www.cdc.gov/trichinellosis/about/
[28] David Werner, Where There Is No Doctor, 1996, 144.
[29] Joseph Alton, et al., Survival Medicine Handbook, 4th Edition, 2021, 285.
[30] https://www.cdc.gov/trichinellosis/about/
[31] Joseph Alton, et al., Survival Medicine Handbook, 4th Edition, 2021, 285.
[32] https://www.cdc.gov/trichinellosis/about/
[33] Joseph Alton, et al., Survival Medicine Handbook, 4th Edition, 2021, 285.
[34] https://www.cdc.gov/trichinellosis/about/
[35] David Werner, Where There Is No Doctor, 1996, 144.
[36] Joseph Alton, et al., Survival Medicine Handbook, 4th Edition, 2021, 285.
[37] https://www.cdc.gov/trichinellosis/about/
[38] David Werner, Where There Is No Doctor, 1996, 144.
[39] David Werner, Where There Is No Doctor, 1996, 144.
[40] David Werner, Where There Is No Doctor, 1996, 144.
[41] https://www.cdc.gov/trichinellosis/about/
[42] Joseph Alton, et al., Survival Medicine Handbook, 4th Edition, 2021, 285.
[43] David Werner, Where There Is No Doctor, 1996, 144.
[44] David Werner, Where There Is No Doctor, 1996, 144.
[45] https://www.cdc.gov/trichinellosis/about/
[46] https://www.cdc.gov/trichinellosis/about/
[47] https://www.cdc.gov/trichinellosis/about/
[48] https://www.cdc.gov/trichinellosis/about/
[49] David Werner, Where There Is No Doctor, 1996, 144.
[50] https://www.cdc.gov/trichinellosis/about/
[51] https://www.cdc.gov/trichinellosis/symptoms/index.html
[52] David Werner, Where There Is No Doctor, 1996, 144.
No comments:
Post a Comment