trichinosis

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A disease caused by eating undercooked meat, usually pork, that contains trichinae, which develop as adults in the intestines and as larvae in the muscles, causing intestinal disorders, fever, nausea, muscular pain, and edema of the face.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A disease caused by the presence of Trichina spiralis in large numbers in the intestines, and by the migration of embryos of the same worm from the intestines into the muscular tissue. See Trichina. The worms are introduced into the human body in raw meat from infected swine. Since many persons may eat meat or sausage from the same animal, the disease has generally prevailed in epidemics. The severity of the disease depends largely on the number of parasites consumed. It may begin with chilly sensations or a distinct chill, and there may be a slight fever of varying intensity in the course of the disease. Digestive disturbances are very common. They consist in sensations of discomfort, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. These may appear several hours or days after the eating of infected meat, or they may be entirely absent. They are referable to the irritation caused by the worms in the intestine. Next to these symptoms, those affecting the muscular system are the most important. In all cases they begin with a sensation of general lameness of the muscles. This is followed by swelling, firmness, and great tenderness of the invaded muscles. Mastication, deglutition, and respiration are rendered difficult. Muscular pains are frequent, especially on moving. Swelling of the eyelids and of the face, appearing usually on the seventh day, is quite characteristic. Edema of the limbs is not uncommon. The disease, which terminates when the muscle-trichinæ have come to rest, lasts from five weeks to four months. The mortality varies in different epidemics, and has been as high as thirty per cent. The presence of encysted trichinæ in the muscles does not lead to permanent disability. Trichinosis of swine is of great economic and hygienic importance, and has received much attention. In order to detect it, muscular fibers from the diaphragm, and from the intercostal, abdominal, laryngeal, and lingual muscles, are examined, because the worms are most abundant in these localities. Very small, slender strips are cut from these muscles parallel to the course of the fibers, crushed between two glass slides and examined under a microscope. Meat infected with trichinæ is made harmless by thorough cooking. Many authorities refer the source of trichinosis in swine to trichinized rats eaten by them. Some incline to the view that the disease is propagated by allowing swine to feed upon the infected viscera of slaughtered swine. Also trichiniasis.

Wiktionary

1. n. pathology A disease characterized by headache, chills, fever, and soreness of muscles, caused by the presence of trichinae in the intestines and muscular tissues.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. (Med.) The disease produced by the presence of trichinæ in the muscles and intestinal track. It is marked by fever, muscular pains, and symptoms resembling those of typhoid fever, and is frequently fatal.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. infestation by trichina larvae that are transmitted by eating inadequately cooked meat (especially pork); larvae migrate from the intestinal tract to the muscles where they become encysted