Trichinellosis in Massachusetts

• _Intestinal Phase (1-2 days post-infection):_ Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fatigue, mild fever.
• _Muscle Invasion Phase (1-2 weeks post-infection):_ Muscle pain and tenderness (myalgia), swelling of the face (especially around the eyes), fever, headache, weakness, and sometimes a rash or splinter hemorrhages under the nails. Severe cases can affect the heart or brain.

Trichinellosis is transmitted to humans primarily through the consumption of raw or undercooked meat contaminated with *Trichinella* larvae. Common sources include domestic pork, wild boar, bear, walrus, and other omnivorous or carnivorous animals. It is not transmitted from person to person.

• Thoroughly cook all meat, especially pork and wild game, to an internal temperature of at least 160°F (71°C) until juices run clear.
• Freeze pork less than 6 inches thick at 5°F (-15°C) for 20 days or -4°F (-20°C) for 3 days to kill most *Trichinella* species (some arctic species are resistant to freezing).
• Avoid feeding raw meat scraps or offal to pigs.
• There is no human vaccine available for Trichinellosis.