Trichinellosis transmission to humans via the consumption of reptile meat is rare worldwide. In Korea, however, 2 such outbreaks, possibly via consumption of soft-shelled turtle meat, have occurred in 2 successive years. In 17 August 2014, 6 patients were admitted to Wonju Severance Christian Hospital complaining of myalgia, fever, and headache. Eosinophilia was the indication of the initial laboratory results, and they were eventually diagnosed as trichinellosis by ELISA. All of the patients worked at the same company and had eaten raw soft-shelled turtle meat at a company dinner 10 days prior to their admission. They were treated with albendazole for 2 weeks, upon which all of their symptoms disappeared. This is the 8th report on human trichinellosis in Korea, and the second implicating raw soft-shelled turtle meat.
Adult ; Animals ; Antibodies, Helminth/blood ; Disease Outbreaks ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Meat/*parasitology ; Republic of Korea ; Trichinella/immunology/isolation & purification/physiology ; Trichinellosis/blood/diagnosis/*parasitology ; Turtles/*parasitology

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.
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