Trichinella
International Commission on Trichinellosis
Trichinella and Trichinellosis
The nematode parasite Trichinella, which people most commonly associate with pork, is distributed worldwide and has been found in virtually all carnivorous and omnivorous animals as well as less commonly in certain herbivores (most notably horses).
Eight species and three genotypes of Trichinella are currently recognized. Of these, five species and three genotypes are found encapsulated in the host, while three species are non-encapsulating. All species and genotypes cause disease in humans.
Humans acquire infection by ingesting raw or undercooked meat containing infective stages of the parasite. Human infections with Trichinella spp. have been reported from numerous countries on five continents – North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Human infections have not been reported from the mainland of Australia, but have been reported from Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.
To read more about Trichinella and trichinellosis, follow these links to other pages on this website:
The nematode parasite Trichinella, which people most commonly associate with pork, is distributed worldwide and has been found in virtually all carnivorous and omnivorous animals as well as less commonly in certain herbivores (most notably horses).
Eight species and three genotypes of Trichinella are currently recognized. Of these, five species and three genotypes are found encapsulated in the host, while three species are non-encapsulating. All species and genotypes cause disease in humans.
Humans acquire infection by ingesting raw or undercooked meat containing infective stages of the parasite. Human infections with Trichinella spp. have been reported from numerous countries on five continents – North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Human infections have not been reported from the mainland of Australia, but have been reported from Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.
To read more about Trichinella and trichinellosis, follow these links to other pages on this website:
- Trichinella life cycle
- Species and genotypes of Trichinella
- Distribution and transmission patterns
- Prevalence in food animals
- Control and prevention in pork and other meat from food animals
- Post-harvest prevention of human exposure
- Pre-harvest prevention of Trichinella infection in pigs
- Analytical methods - Trichinellosis in humans
- Outbreaks
- Prevalence
- Clinical manifestations
- Diagnosis - ICT recommendations for managing outbreaks of human trichinellosis
