Animals involved:
(1) bears
(2) wild pigs or boars
(3) seals
(4) raccoons
(5) other omnivores
The meat may be served in a variety of ways that may mask its origins, such as sausage. A number of methods of preparation (smoking, curing, freezing) may be ineffective in killing the larvae.
The diagnosis of trichinosis should be considered in a patient with a history of:
(1) recently eating raw or rare meat
(2) diarrhea
(3) muscle aches with weakness, fatigue and elevated serum CK
(4) eosinophilia
(5) cardiac, neurologic and respiratory symptoms may develop if the person is severely ill
(6) systemic features such as fever and/or weight loss
Problems in diagnosis:
(1) A person may be unaware that they have eaten wild game.
(2) A person may assume that the meat was cooked, but a part may have not been adequately heated.
(3) Multiple people may be exposed over a period of time to several different types of wild game cooked in different ways.
