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:

 

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