Trichinella spiralis

Diseases -Trichinosis, Trichiniasis,

Trichinelliasis
Morphology -the infrequently seen adult is a
small worm. It is characterized by:
1. Slender anterior end with a small, orbicular,
nonpapillated mouth
2. Posterior end bluntly rounded (female)
ventrally curved with two lobular caudal
appendages (male)
3. Single ovary with vulva in the anterior fifth
(female)
4. Long narrow digestive tract
 Trichinella spiralis larvae in
muscle section.
 A larva in a teased muscle preparation.
 The adult worms
Tail of male
measure 1.5 mm (male)
Trichinella spiralis
to 3.5 mm (female) long
LIFE CYCLE

Animals are infected with Trichinella spiralis when

they ingest infective larvae in raw or undercooked
meat. The larvae mature into adults in the host's
small intestine and the female worms give birth to
larvae. (The males die after fertilizing the females,
and the females die after producing
larvae.) discomfort.
The larvae enter the blood stream of the host
and, eventually, end up in the host's
muscles. Here the larvae mature into infective
larvae, and the next host is infected when it eats
these larvae. In the muscles the larvae cause a
severe host reaction that results in soreness and
tenderness of the muscles. Although this parasite
probably only rarely causes fatalities in humans, it
can cause extreme
EPIDEMIOLOGY
Infected persons in the world has been
greatly reduced. The prevalence of
Trichinosis is less in the tropics and
subtropics, chiefly owing to low
consumption of pork products,
religious bans on eating pork, Chinese
culinary custom of cooking it
thoroughly.
 People may also acquire the infection by the
ingestion of ground beef. Beef ground in a machine
in which infected pork has been ground is a
possible source of infection. Through an aggressive
program of meat inspection, the incidence of
trichinosis in pigs in the United States has been
lowered to less than 1%, so it is unlikely (but not
impossible) that pork products purchased in your
local supermarket will contain Trichinella larvae.
PATHOLOGY

The pathology of Trichinosis is concerned with

the presence of larvae in the striated muscles
and vital organs and with the reaction of the host
to their activities. The muscle fiber increased in
size, become edematous, develop a spindle
shape and undergo basophilic degeneration
 Most recent outbreaks of trichinosis in the
United States have been traced to pork products
from pigs that have not been inspected and that
have been slaughtered privately. Because of its
low host-specificity, almost any "wild" meat
should be considered suspect, and hunters
should be careful when preparing meat from
their kills. In particular, a number of infections
have been traced to contaminated bear meat.
 Common Diagnostic Test
Muscle biopsy, Antibody ELISA
Clinical Signs:
Usually asymptomatic. Heavy
infections have been reported to
cause a hemorrhagic enteritis, muscle
pain and stiffness.
 Diagnostic Stage:
First stage-larva (arrows) in the nurse cell.
Larval cysts can get up to 3 mm in diameter.
 TRICHURIS TRICHIURA
Diseases Trichuriasis, trichocephaliasis,
whipworm infection.

LIFE CYCLE
The adults live in the host's large intestine with their
anterior ends embedded in the cells that line the
intestine; each female can produce in excess of 10,000
eggs each day, and the worms can live several
years. The eggs are passed in the host's feces, and
they become infective in about three weeks.
 When an infective egg is eaten by the
appropriate host it hatches in the small intestine,
and the worm migrates to the large intestine
where it reaches sexual maturity. Most infections
of whipworms are probably
asymptomatic. However, because the worms
live a long time and a person can be reinfected
constantly, heavy worm burdens can develop.
 Trichuris trichiura adults.
Trichinella spiralis in tissue
Trichuris vulpis egg. Trichuris trichiura in the
large intestine.
The posterior end of a male Trichuris sp.,
with an everted spicule