DENMARK EX ROMANIA

1 Apr 2004
Statens Serum Institute website

Trichinellosis from imported meat, Denmark. Seven cases of trichinellosis were diagnosed in people who had eaten home-made sausage bought in Romania. The sausage was made from a home-slaughtered pig. The patients developed periorbital edema after 3 weeks with diarrhoea, abdominal pains, and muscle pain. The patients had elevated eosinophil counts and creatine kinase levels. Contacts in Romania had been treated for trichinellosis after eating meat from the same pig.

ProMed: Trichinellosis infection in meat imported from eastern Europe is well-known. Until veterinary control of home-slaughtered animals is commonly enforced, imported home-made food from these countries poses a potential risk. Eosinophils are white blood cells whose numbers are often elevated in helminthic infections, and elevated levels of the muscle enzyme creatine kinase reflect the inflammatory response in the muscles. - Mod.EP

IMPORTED - GERMANY EX ROMANIA
26-DEC-2002
Dr. G. Weigand
tropmed@web.de

Trichinella infection in Germany from imported meat. 3 cases of Trichinellosis have occurred in Frankfurt am Main in Germany. The source of infection was smoked wild boar meat brought into Germany by travellers from Romania. About 2-3 weeks after the infection, the patients developed myositis, fever, headache, night sweats, severe weakness, and a moderate periorbital swelling.

Leukocyte count was well above 20 000 cells per square mm, with eosinophils up to 48 percent. CPK (and isoenzyme MB) were markedly elevated. Serology turned to be positive about 3-4 weeks after infection. The patients' condition improved considerably after treatment.