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Clinical Microbiology Reviews, January 2009, p. 127-145, Vol. 22, No. 1
0893-8512/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/CMR.00026-08
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Epidemiology, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Control of Trichinellosis

Bruno Gottstein,1* Edoardo Pozio,2 and Karsten Nöckler3

Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Vetsuisse Faculty of the University of Bern, Bern Switzerland,1 Istituto Superiore di Sanita, viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy,2 Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Diedersdorfer Weg 1, 12277 Berlin, Germany3

Summary: Throughout much of the world, Trichinella spp. are found to be the causative agents of human trichinellosis, a disease that not only is a public health hazard by affecting human patients but also represents an economic problem in porcine animal production and food safety. Due to the predominantly zoonotic importance of infection, the main efforts in many countries have focused on the control of Trichinella or the elimination of Trichinella from the food chain. The most important source of human infection worldwide is the domestic pig, but, e.g., in Europe, meats of horses and wild boars have played a significant role during outbreaks within the past 3 decades. Infection of humans occurs with the ingestion of Trichinella larvae that are encysted in muscle tissue of domestic or wild animal meat. Early clinical diagnosis of trichinellosis is rather difficult because pathognomonic signs or symptoms are lacking. Subsequent chronic forms of the disease are not easy to diagnose, irrespective of parameters including clinical findings, laboratory findings (nonspecific laboratory parameters such as eosinophilia, muscle enzymes, and serology), and epidemiological investigations. New regulations laying down rules for official controls for Trichinella in meat in order to improve food safety for consumers have recently been released in Europe. The evidence that the disease can be monitored and to some extent controlled with a rigorous reporting and testing system in place should be motivation to expand appropriate programs worldwide.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Institute of Parasitology, University of Bern, Laenggassstrasse 122, CH-3001 Bern, Switzerland. Phone: (41) 31 631 24 18. Fax: (41) 31 631 26 22. E-mail: bruno.gottstein{at}ipa.unibe.ch

Clinical Microbiology Reviews, January 2009, p. 127-145, Vol. 22, No. 1
0893-8512/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/CMR.00026-08
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Tint, D., Cocuz, M. E., Ortan, O. F., Niculescu, M. D., Radoi, M. (2009). Cardiac Involvement in Trichinellosis: A Case of Left Ventricular Thrombosis. Am J Trop Med Hyg 81: 313-316 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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