[Outbreak of trichinellosis in the region of la Vera (Carceres, Spain) caused by Trichinella britovi].
OBJECTIVE
To describe the clinical and epidemiological aspects of a trichinellosis outbreak in the region of La Vera that took place during January and February 2002, related to the consumption of pork meat infected with Trichinella britovi.


METHODS
When the first suspected case was discovered, the presumed infected meat was checked and all the people who might have eaten it were examined. An epidemiological interview and a clinic evaluation were carried out in each patient.


RESULTS
We found 52 exposed people that had eaten the presumptive infected meat, 35 males and 17 females, with an age ranging from 2 to 86 years old. A confirmed positive diagnosis was established in 16 patients. The most frequent symptoms were: diarrhea (present in all the cases), fever, myalgia and facial edema. Eosinophilia was an early and characteristic analytic sign. All diagnosed cases were found to have positive serology, although this was not a required criterion to start medical treatment. Treatment was started once the clinical suspicion of trichinellosis was determined, based on compatible clinical signs and eosinophilia. There were no complications and none of the patients required hospitalization. The meat sample was claimed by the Health Authorities and destroyed, thus avoiding further extension of the outbreak.


CONCLUSIONS
Sporadic outbreaks of trichinellosis have been described in Spain. In the present paper an outbreak caused by Trichinella britovi has been studied. Early diagnosis suspicion and its communication to the Health Authorities allowed the control of the outbreak and the identification of the contaminated meat. Treatment must be started after clinical suspicion and eosinophilia.
Herráez García
J
J
Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Campo Arañuelo. zurraquin1@terra.es
Leon García
L A
LA
Lanusse Senderos
C
C
Cortés Blanco
M
M
García Cabañas
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000469:parasitology; D008875:Middle Aged; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013552:Swine; D014234:Trichinella / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014235:Trichinellosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*
Brote de triquinosis en la comarca de la Vera (Cáceres) causado por Trichinella britovi.