What are Trichinella?
Trichinella are threadworms that can infect wildlife (including bears, foxes, and seals) and domestic animals (especially pigs, dogs, and horses). These worms are about 1mm long and can be found throughout the world. When humans consume raw or undercooked meat from an infected animal, people can be infected with Trichinosis. This disease is currently rare in humans, but testing is still necessary because trichinella are commonly found in many wildlife species.
At left is an image of trichinella in bear muscle tissue, digested and captured under the microscope at 100x. Source: CDC
What are Symptoms of Trichinosis?
Initial symptoms appear a few days after consuming infected meat as the worms mature and begin reproducing. These symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, fatigue, and abdominal pain. After the trichinella larvae go into the bloodstream and imbed into muscle, symptoms can include headaches, fevers, chills, weakness, cough, muscle pain, and even heart and lung problems. The severity of the disease depends on how many worms were consumed. Anti-parasitic drugs can be used to treat trichinosis but are not effective once larvae imbed into the muscles. Trichinosis can be fatal.
How Can Meat Be Screened for Trichinella?
Tissue samples are taken from animals and pooled. Then, samples are digested with acid, minced, heat treated, and strained. The digested sediment is examined under a microscope to look for the presence of trichinella larvae. A stereo microscope with a camera is commonly used for sample analysis.
Recommended Microscopes for Trichinella Analysis:
S6 BF/DF Stereo Microscope 10x-67x
FZ6 BF/DF Stereo Microscope 13x-90x
Have questions about which microscope is right for you? Contact Microscope World at 800-942-0528.
