Six cases of trichinosis were confirmed in the Cordoba town of Adelia María, according to a ViaPais report Thursday.
The infections were confirmed by health authorities in the region, who asked the population to be alert to the symptoms.
Carlos Ferrero, director of the regional hospital, assured that they are working to determine the origin of the cases. The doctor specified that two cases were detected seven days ago but that now another four have been added. The cases are not be linked.
“The complaint has already been made in Epidemiology and in Zoonoses of the Province and following up and treating the affected people,” he described, adding: “We alert the population to be careful with the consumption of pork.”
The doctor maintained that the first two people who had symptoms were treated in Río Cuarto. “The diagnosis was confirmed through Infectology of Río Cuarto,” he said, adding: “We are working to see the origin. So far they are isolated cases .
Trichinosis is a parasitic disease caused most commonly by the roundworm Trichinella spiralis. If someone ingests undercooked or raw meat with the encysted larvae, the stomach acid releases the larvae which mature to adults in the intestine.
After about a week the female starts releasing larvae which enter the bloodstream and find their way to skeletal muscle where they encapsulate.
There can be gastrointestinal symptoms mimicking acute food poisoning when there is activity of the adults in the intestine.
Sudden appearance of fever, muscle soreness and pain with swelling of parts of the face is early classic signs. This can sometimes be followed by retinal hemorrhages and other ocular signs.
With heavy infections cardiac, respiratory and neurological problems may ensue with death by heart failure being most common. The more larvae you ingest, the more serious the disease.
What preventive measures are available?
• Cook all fresh pork, pork products and meat from wild animals to where all the meats reaches 160° F. The meat should turn from pink to gray.
• Freezing pork at -13° F for at least 10 days will kill the cysts. The exception to this rule is strains of Trichinella found in walrus and bear meat which are cold-resistant and must be cooked as noted above.
• Smoking, salting or drying meat is not effective.
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