trichinosis

Disease caused by larvae of the nematode worm, Trichinella spiralis, which are found in cats and dogs, pigs, hares and rats. It is transmitted to humans in contaminated meat. First symptoms, which occur within 72 hours, include headache, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. These are followed, within ten days to three weeks, by eye problems, fever, muscle pain and cramps; pleurisy may also occur and occasionally the heart muscle and central nervous system are affected. Treatment is with bed-rest and drugs, although symptoms may linger for many months. Trichinosis is mostly seen in Europe and North America; it is rare in tropical countries.