Up-to-date information concerning trichinosis, a pork infestation transmitted to man, is appearing continually in medical journals. Since many do not have access to these journals, we reprint here a few of the latest comments made concerning this disease.
From the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, September, 1956, "Handling Pork to Prevent Trichinosis," Esther Louise Brown, pp. 802-806:
The United States—a country which has prided itself on its sanitary culture and its advances in public health—has a higher infection rate from the Trichinella worm than any other country in the world. It is estimated that during his lifetime, the average American will consume pork containing trichinae about two hundred times.
Few infections result in severe illness ... infection is not passed from person to person.
Incidence of trichinosis in the United States among hogs during the past fifty years has shown relatively little decline.
Speaking further, the author goes on to state that some believe recognition of the disease was the reason the Israelites were prohibited from eating pork. Rats and bear are also affected with it. Authorities estimate that 16 per cent of Americans, or some 22 million persons, may be infected to some degree with this strength-draining disease. However, Jewish persons are rarely affected.
Trichinosis would not occur in hogs normally if they did not have access to raw garbage containing raw pork and if they had no access to infected rodents which they might consume.—Ibid.
Since early symptoms of trichinosis often resemble those of other diseases, it is often mistaken for influenza, sinusitis, chronic rheumatic fever, tuberculosis, et cetera. Encysted trichinae can live for years in the muscles of the host. Trichinosis is incurable, except as the body eventually encysts the worms, because there is no way to remove the worms once they have invaded human tissues.
There are two methods of public health control of this disease, both of which lie in the area of prevention: (1) If hogs are garbage-fed, then the garbage must be cooked thoroughly; (2) the public must be taught to cook pork thoroughly. This last piece of advice must be heeded by all eating places as well as in the home, else there is always present the danger of infection.
Further information from the Yearbook of Agriculture, 1956, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D.C. (S2.00).
Hogs are probably susceptible to a greater number of diseases than any other domestic animal, and many of their ills are transmissible to man. Among them are brucellosis, leptospirosis, slamonellosis, trypanosomiasis, trichinosis, and cysticercosis.
Trichinosis and cysticercosis have been recognized as health problems in many parts of the world and supposedly are the basis of the first sanitation codes.—Page 19.
And this from the Instructor's Guide for Sanitary Food Service, U.S. Public Health Service, 1952:
Question: Is trichinosis a rare disease?
Answer: No. One out of every six persons either has it or will have it before death, if he eats pork or pork products.—Page 163.
One out of every six people dying from accidents, cancer, typhus, tuberculosis, and other causes, are found to be infected with trichinae.—Page 171.
