Korean J Parasitol.  2011 Dec;49(4):405-408. 10.3347/kjp.2011.49.4.405.

The Fifth Outbreak of Trichinosis in Korea

• Rhee JY
• Hong ST
• Lee HJ
• Seo M
• Kim SB

• KMID: 1715746
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2011.49.4.405

Abstract

Trichinosis is a food-borne zoonotic disease caused by the nematode, Trichinella spp., and had been reported several times in Korea. Recently, there was an additional outbreak, involving 5 patients, the findings from which are reported herein. On 30 November 2010, 8 persons ate sashimi of the meat of a wild boar. Then, 2-3 weeks later, they complained of myalgia and fever. Unfortunately, muscle biopsy was not performed, but ELISA was performed using their sera. Two people among 8 were positive for Trichinella on the 34th day post-infection (PI), and 3 patients who initially revealed negative ELISA were additionally proved to be positive for trichinosis on the 42nd day PI. Hence, the confirmed patients of trichinosis were 5 in total in the present outbreak. They were treated with albendazole and discharged uneventfully. This was the fifth outbreak of trichinosis in Korea.

Keyword

Trichinella; trichinosis; wild boar; ELISA; outbreak

MeSH Terms

Adult
Albendazole/therapeutic use
Animals
Anthelmintics/therapeutic use
Antibodies, Helminth/blood
Disease Outbreaks/*veterinary
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Female
Foodborne Diseases/drug therapy/*epidemiology/parasitology
Humans
Male
Meat/*parasitology
Middle Aged
Republic of Korea/epidemiology
Sus scrofa/parasitology
Swine
Swine Diseases/parasitology/transmission
Treatment Outcome
Trichinella/immunology/*isolation & purification
Trichinellosis/diagnosis/drug therapy/*epidemiology
Zoonoses
Albendazole
Anthelmintics
Antibodies, Helminth