title: Outbreak of trichinosis in France associated with eating horse meat.
abstract: The investigation of a trichinosis outbreak in Auvergne, France identified 23 cases in 12 households living in two cities-Clermont-Ferrand and Montluçon-between 15 February and 7 March 1991. One patient required intensive care, 15 had major symptoms, and seven had minor or no symptoms. Two case control studies demonstrated a significant (p < 0.01) association between eating horse meat and acute trichinosis. Veterinary services found that three supermarkets where the patients had bought horse meat during the suspected period had been supplied by a single wholesaler. The analysis of the wholesaler's records revealed that the implicated horse meat had been imported from a slaughterhouse in the United States. This outbreak occurred despite a requirement in France for all meat from horses slaughtered in France and in countries exporting meat to France to be examined systematically for trichinella.
authors.affiliation: Hôtel-Dieu, University Hospital of Clermont-Ferrand, France.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Laurichesse
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cambon
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Perre
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ancelle
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mora
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hubert
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beytout
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D005513:Food Inspection; D005602:France; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000469:parasitology*; D014235:Trichinellosis / Q000209:etiology*