Outbreak of Trichinellosis Caused by Trichinella papuae, Thailand, 2006
2008

Outbreak of Trichinellosis in Thailand

Sample size: 82 publication 10 minutes Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Khumjui Chowalit, Choomkasien Pravit, Dekumyoy Paron, Kusolsuk Teera, Kongkaew Wandee, Chalamaat Mutita, Jones Jeffrey L.

Primary Institution: Ministry of Public Health, Bangkok, Thailand

Hypothesis

What is the source of the trichinellosis outbreak in northern Thailand?

Conclusion

Eating undercooked wild boar meat was strongly implicated as the source of this trichinellosis outbreak.

Supporting Evidence

  • All 28 case-patients had myalgia and other symptoms.
  • An environmental study linked the outbreak to eating wild boar meat.
  • Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of Trichinella papuae in a muscle biopsy.

Takeaway

Some villagers got sick after eating wild boar meat that wasn't cooked enough, which made them very ill.

Methodology

The study involved reviewing medical records, interviewing patients, and conducting a case-control study with environmental investigations.

Potential Biases

Potential bias from self-reported symptoms and exposure history.

Limitations

The study was limited by the lack of available uncooked wild boar meat for laboratory analysis.

Participant Demographics

The study included 82 participants, with a median age of 34 years, and 18 were male.

Statistical Information

P-Value

9.6

Confidence Interval

95% CI 3.0–30.1

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.3201/eid1412.080800

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