Trichinella

Question 1

How does Trichinella infection differ symptomatically from pigs to humans?

Answer 1

Often asymptomatic in pigs but casues serious and sometimes fatal signs of myositis, myocarditis, ecephalitis and facial odeama in humans.

Question 2

How could the lifecycle be described?

Answer 2

There is no exogenous stage to the infection and the adult worm is viviparous.

Question 3

What is a “nurse cell”?

Answer 3

The cyst that Trichinella forms. It does this by re-programming the host muscle cell to stop producing muscle protein whilst up-regulating collagen genes and aerobic metabolism as well as stimualting angiogenesis.

Question 4

Which species is most important in epidemiologuical terms?

Answer 4

T. spiralis as it is the most common one that infects both pigs and humans.

Question 5

What is the main source in a domestic cycle of infection?

Answer 5

Undercooked pig swill or undercooked pig products.

Question 6

What are the four main principles of control?

Answer 6

1. Preventing pigs from scavenging
2. Inspecting meat
3. Adequete boiling of swill
4. Good cooking/treatment of pork products for human consumption.

Question 7

How can Trichinella infection be detected?

Answer 7

1. Microscopic inspectuion of meat
2. Acid-pepsin digestion of a sample
3. ELISA

Question 8

Why is ELISA not commonly used other than in epidemiological studies?

Answer 8

It is too expensive.