Historically, trichinellosis has been associated with eating Trichinella-infected pork from domesticated sources. However, wild game meat has now become the most common source of infection. During 1997-2001, 72 cases of trichinellosis were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Of these, 31 (43 percent) cases were associated with eating wild game—29 with bear meat, one with cougar meat, and one with wild boar meat. In comparison, only 12 (17 percent) cases were associated with eating commercial pork products, including four cases traced to a foreign source. Nine (13 percent) cases were associated with eating noncommercial pork from home-raised or direct-from-farm swine where U.S. commercial pork production industry standards and regulations do not apply.
Advice for prevention of trichiellosis:
• Cook meat products to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
• Freeze pork less than 6 inches thick for 20 days at 5 degrees F to kill any worms.
• Cook all meat fed to pigs.
• Do not allow hogs to eat uncooked carcasses of other animals, including rats, which may be infected with trichinellosis.
• Clean meat grinders thoroughly if you prepare your own ground meats.
• Curing (salting), drying, smoking, or microwaving meat does not consistently kill infective worms.
