An outbreak of trichinellosis by consumption of raw soft-shelled turtle meat in Korea.
Trichinellosis transmission to humans via the consumption of reptile meat is rare worldwide. In Korea, however, 2 such outbreaks, possibly via consumption of soft-shelled turtle meat, have occurred in 2 successive years. In 17 August 2014, 6 patients were admitted to Wonju Severance Christian Hospital complaining of myalgia, fever, and headache. Eosinophilia was the indication of the initial laboratory results, and they were eventually diagnosed as trichinellosis by ELISA. All of the patients worked at the same company and had eaten raw soft-shelled turtle meat at a company dinner 10 days prior to their admission. They were treated with albendazole for 2 weeks, upon which all of their symptoms disappeared. This is the 8th report on human trichinellosis in Korea, and the second implicating raw soft-shelled turtle meat.
Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju 220-701, Korea.
Joon Taek
JT
Jeong
Department of Parasitology, Dankook University College of Medicine, Cheonan 330-714, Korea.
Min
M
Seo
Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 110-799, Korea.
Sung-Tae
ST
Hong
Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju 220-701, Korea.
Young Keun
YK
Kim
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000469:parasitology*; D056910:Republic of Korea; D014234:Trichinella / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D014235:Trichinellosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology*; D014426:Turtles / Q000469:parasitology*
D000909:Antibodies, Helminth
ELISA; Korea; Trichinella; soft-shelled turtle; trichinellosis