At a glance
- Trichinellosis symptoms are often mild and mistaken for flu.
- Severe trichinellosis can cause fever and chills, facial swelling, joint and muscle aches, and rash.
- Seek help if you have symptoms of trichinellosis after eating undercooked meat.
Symptoms
Some people with trichinellosis experience no symptoms. Infections with mild symptoms may go undiagnosed as people often think they have the flu or some other common illness. In mild to moderate cases, most symptoms go away within a few months without treatment.
After eating raw or undercooked meat from an animal infected with Trichinella, you may experience:
After 1 – 2 days
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Pain in the gut region
After 1 – 2 weeks
- Fever and chills
- Swelling of the face, particularly the eyes
- Headache
- Weakness or tiredness
- Joint and muscle aches
- Itching or rash
- Cough
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
Symptoms can range from very mild to severe. How severe symptoms become may have something to do with how many Trichinella larvae (young worms) a person ate in contaminated meat.
If the infection is heavy, you may have trouble coordinating movements and have heart and breathing problems. Although it's rare, severe cases can end in death.