Trichinosis is defined as a food-borne ailment brought about by consuming poorly cooked or raw meat, especially pork that has been infested by larvae of the trichinella spiralis worm. Remember that anyone is at risk.
What are the causes?
The usual causes include:
- Ingestion poorly cooked or raw pork products
- Eating poorly stored meat products
- Dirty or contaminated kitchen utensils were used to prepare food
What are the signs?
The indications of trichinosis vary from minor to severe and generally include:
- Abdominal pain
- Fever and chills
- Diarrhea or constipation
Other symptoms that might arise include thirst, excessive sweating and tiredness. - Headache
- Muscle soreness
- Eye swelling
Other symptoms that might arise include thirst, excessive sweating and tiredness. In severe cases, trichinosis can lead to difficulty breathing, difficulty with coordinating movements and inflamed heart muscles.
The symptoms might last from 5-45 days but typically manifest 10-14 days after ingesting infected meat. For a mild care, it is often mistaken as the flu or other common conditions. In severe instances, the condition can result to death.
Management of trichinosis
If the individual has consumed raw or poorly cooked meat and starts to experience symptoms of trichinosis, a doctor must be consulted.
The treatment must be started right away since delay can be deadly. In most cases, the treatment is based on the symptoms, precise cause and findings of the laboratory tests.
For a mild case of trichinosis, it includes bed rest and drugs to lower the fever and muscle pain. As for severe cases, steroids are given to reduce the inflammation of the muscles as well as heart complications.