Trichinella spiralis infection

Abdomen | Gastroenterology | Trichinella spiralis infection (Disease)


Description

Trichinellosis or trichinosis is an infection or a nematode worm parasite-cylinder. They use a host to survive and reproduce. The majority of infections cause no symptoms, but massive exposure can cause various clinical manifestations such as diarrhea, fever, myalgia and prostration.

Trichinella is developed in a single host and parasite others without requiring an arthropod as intermediate host. Intensity and frequency of exposure to infected meat determine the severity of infection. Disease is related to meat cooking habits and methods of refrigeration. After ingestion of Trichinella larvae are located in skeletal muscle and not remain in the digestive tract, thus stool examination is irrelevant. Initial diagnosis is based on classic signs and symptoms: muscle inflammation, fever and swelling the eyes.

Causes and Risk factors

Humans are accidentally infected when eating meat cooked at inadequate temperatures containing larvae of Trichinella spiralis.

Diagnosis and Treatment

To confirm diagnosis are necessary blood tests and muscle biopsy to detect larvae. Using anthelmintic treatment: albendazole, mebendazole if the infection is found in the intestinal phase, to the muscle is no longer effective, for it may try steroids to painkillers. Mortality is low, infected patients are usually asymptomatic, those who show clinical symptoms, it is better in 2-3 weeks. If the infection is severe clinical picture may take up to 2-3 months.

Factors affecting morbidity include the amount of ingested larvae, the species to which they belong, spiralis has the highest degree of infectivity, and status of the host immune system. Patients die because of the pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, encephalitis or without heart failure or arrhythmias. ...