Trichinellosisis an acute invasive human disease, which is manifested by deterioration in health, headaches, increased temperature (sometimes up to 38 - 39º C), swelling of the eyelids and face, and muscle pain. Various types of skin rashes often occur, gastrointestinal manifestations, eye damage, changes in the respiratory system, cardiovascular and nervous systems are possible. The incubation period for infection with trichinosis ranges from 5 to 40 days or more.
The causative agent of trichinosisare small filamentous, round helminths, which are characterized by a peculiar development cycle. In the sexually mature stage they parasitize the wall of the small intestine, and in the larval stage they parasitize the striated muscles, except for the heart muscle.
Source of invasion.Human infection with trichinosis occurs when eating contaminated meat and meat products of epidemically significant animals (pigs, wild boars, badgers, bears, etc.) that have not passed a veterinary and sanitary examination at slaughter.
Among the animals susceptible to trichinosis are wild boar, wolf, fox, bear, badger, dog, cat, domestic pig, as well as rodents (rats), which maintain the circulation of this parasite in nature.
In Belarus, diseases are observed mainly after the use of poorly cooked pork meat, consumption of salted lard with meat layer, home-smoked meat, raw-cured sausages and pork hams, and less often - meat of wild animals. The preservation of the viability of larvae in meat during various types of culinary processing (cooking, salting, smoking) is facilitated by the presence of capsules around them, in which the larva can remain viable for up to 25 years or more.
Prevention of trichinellosisincludes a set of measures that are aimed at preventing infection of pigs with Trichinella and their transmission through meat to humans. The main role in the prevention of trichinosis belongs to the veterinary and sanitary examination of the meat of killed animals, both domestic and wild. The examination is carried out by veterinary workers at the nearest veterinary institution. It is not allowed to use meat and meat products from slaughtered animals that have not passed a veterinary examination for food, sale on the market, or transfer to neighbors and other persons.
Buy meat and meat products only in places designated for this purpose, if you have a certificate of passing a veterinary examination; you should not purchase them from unknown persons in places not designated for trade. Remember that salting and smoking kill only superficially located parasites. To reliably destroy Trichinella, meat must be cooked in pieces no thicker than 8 centimeters for at least 2.5 hours. To prevent the spread of Trichinella by rats, deratization should be carried out to kill rodents in areas where pigs are kept.
Follow the rules for keeping and feeding livestock. Neutralize the corpses of domestic animals, carcasses of wild animals and rodents by burying them in animal burial grounds or burning them. Keep the premises and garden area clean.
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