TRICHINELLA

MAHA HAMAYUN
ALI HASSAN
INTRODUCTION

 Trichinella is the genus of parasitic roundworms of

the phylum Nematoda that cause trichinosis (also
known as trichinellosis). Members of this genus are
often called Trichinella or trichina worms.
 The genus was first recognized in a larval form in
1835.
 Trichinella is known as the smallest human
nematode parasite, yet it is also the largest of all
intracellular parasites.
 The species are divided into two clades: (i) species
that encapsulate in host muscle tissue and (ii) species
that do not encapsulate following muscle cell
invasion.
SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION
 Scientific classification
 Kingdom: Animalia

 Phylum: Nematoda
 Class: Enoplea
 Order: Trichocephalida
 Family: Trichinellidae
 Genus: Trichinella
TRICHINOSIS
 Trichinosis is a parasitic disease caused by
roundworms of the Trichinella.
 During the initial infection, invasion of the intestines
can result in diarrhea, abdominal pain, and vomiting.
 Migration of larvae to muscle, which occurs about a
week after being infected, can cause swelling of the
face, inflammation of the whites of the eyes, fever,
muscle pains, and a rash. The larval stage is infective.
 Minor infection may be without symptoms.
Complications may include inflammation of heart
muscle, central nervous system involvement, and
inflammation of the lungs.
 Trichinosis is mainly spread when
undercooked meat containing Trichinella cysts
is eaten. Most often this is pork but can also
occur from bear and dog meat.
 Several subtypes of Trichinella can cause
disease with T. spiralis being the most
common.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
 The great majority of trichinosis infections
have either minor or no symptoms and no
complications. There are two main phases for
the infection:
 Enteral (affecting the intestines causing
nausea, heartburn, dyspepsia, and diarrhea
from two to seven days after infection).
 Parenteral (outside the intestines), a classic
sign of which is periorbital edema, swelling
around the eyes. Splinter hemorrhage in the
nails is also a common symptom. The
symptoms vary depending on the phase,
species of Trichinella, quantity of encysted
larvae ingested, age, sex, and host immunity.
LIFE CYCLE
 The typical life cycle for T. spiralis involves
humans, pigs, and rodents.
 A pig becomes infected when it eats
infectious cysts in raw meat, often porcine
carrion or a rat.
 A human becomes infected by consuming raw
or undercooked infected pork.
 In the stomach, the cysts from infected
undercooked meat are acted on by pepsin and
hydrochloric acid, which help release the
larvae from the cysts into the stomach.
 The larvae then migrate to the small intestine,
and burrow into the intestinal mucosa, where they
molt four times before becoming adults.
 Adult worms can only reproduce for a limited
time, because the immune system will eventually
expel them from the small intestine.
 The larvae then use their "stylet", pass through
the intestinal mucosa and enter the lymphatic
vessels, and then enter the bloodstream and
various organs such as the retina, myocardium, or
lymph nodes; however, only larvae that migrate to
skeletal muscle cells survive and encyst.
DIAGNOSIS
 Clinical presentation of the common
trichinosis symptoms may also suggest
infection. These symptoms include eye
puffiness, splinter hemorrhage,
nonspecific gastroenteritis, and muscle
pain.
 Artificial digestion is used to detect the
presence of encysted Trichinella larvae in
suspected muscle tissue. The meat sample
is dissolved by a digestive solution and the
remains are examined for the presence of
larvae.
 Blood tests include a complete blood count for
eosinophilia, creatine phosphokinase activity, and
various immunoassays such as ELISA for larval
antigens.
PREVENTION
 One way to prevent trichinellosis is to cook
meat to safe temperatures (145 °F (63 °C)
and a three-minute rest for fresh pork).A food
thermometer should be used to measure the
internal temperature of cooked meat. The
meat is not safe until cooking is completed.
To help prevent Trichinella infection in
animal populations, pigs or wild animals
should be prevented from eating uncooked
meat, scraps, or carcasses of any animals,
including rats, which may be infected with
Trichinella, in order to break the oral
ingestion cycle of infection.
TREATMENT
 Primary treatment:
 Early administration of mebendazole or
albendazole, decreases the likelihood of
larval encystation, particularly if given
within three days of infection but should
not be given to pregnant women or
children under two years of age. However,
most cases are diagnosed after this time.
 Secondary treatment:
 After infection, steroids, such as prednisone
may be used to relieve muscle pain associated
with larval migration.
 There are currently no marketable vaccines for
trichinosis.