Diagnostic Difficulties in Human Trichinellosis – a Case Report

Abstract

Trichinosis is a parasitic disease caused by the larvae of Trichinella spp. (mostly Trichinella spiralis), introduced into the body through the consumption of undercooked infected meat. Gastrointestinal symptoms are most common in early disease. The clinical picture is completed quickly with myalgia, facial edema, fever, fatigue, and headache. Leukocytosis and eosinophilia are characteristic biological changes. Positive diagnosis can be difficult, the disease can be confused with many other diseases (gastroenteritis, myopathies, other parasitic diseases, hypereosinophilic syndrome, febrile disease, skin allergies etc.), especially in the absence of epidemiological suggestive data. We present the case of a patient admitted to the Infectious Diseases Hospital of Brasov in January with acute nonspecific enterocolitis, superimposed over trichinosis in evolution, diagnosed after admission based primarily on changes in laboratory tests (leukocytosis and eosinophilia) and then on a recent acute febrile dyspeptic episode identified in the history of the patient and on epidemiological data suggestive of trichinosis (consumption of pork infested with larvae of Trichinella spiralis). The conclusion that emerges is that trichinosis diagnosis can be difficult and a complete medical history of the patient, especially epidemiological data, is essential.