Spain: Trichinellosis outbreak in Castilla-La Mancha due to consumption of wild boar meat
The Ministry of Health of Castilla-La Mancha is studying a possible outbreak of trichinellosis detected in a family from Los Cortijos –province of Ciudad Real– after consuming meat from a wild boar that they had hunted for their own consumption.
At the moment, this infection affects 12 people from the same family unit who had to be treated for symptoms compatible with trichinellosis in the health centre of the neighboring town of Malagón. Of all of them, only one was admitted to the General Hospital of Ciudad Real, the ministry said.
The same source assured that the samples collected from those affected have been sent to the National Centre for Microbiology so that tests can be carried out to confirm the pathogen causing the infection.
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The vast majority of trichinellosis outbreaks are associated with the consumption of wild boar hunted for personal consumption and pigs slaughtered in home slaughterhouses that have not been subjected to analysis to detect the presence of Trichinella.
European Union legislation regulates official controls to detect the presence of the parasite in meat, both in slaughterhouses and in rooms handling game meat or through veterinarians who provide these services.