Trichinosis

Alternative names:

trichinellosis; trichiniasis

Symptoms:

• history of having eaten rare or uncooked pork (bear and other wild carnivores or omnivores)
• abdominal discomfort
• cramping
• diarrhea
• muscle pain (especially muscle pain with breathing, chewing, or using large muscles)
• fever

Signs and tests:

• CBC (increased eosinophils)
• muscle biopsy (trichinella cysts present in the muscle)
• serology studies (bentonite flocculation test positive for trichinella)
• CPK (may show elevated levels of creatine kinase)