A food-borne disease caused by the microscopic intestinal roundworm Trichinella spiralis. Any child who eats undercooked meat of infected animals can develop trichinosis; pork products are most often responsible, although cases have appeared after eating infected bear and walrus.

The parasite may be found in a wide variety of animals, including pigs, dogs, cats, rats, and many wild animals (such as fox, wolf, and polar bear). The disease is found only among those who eat pork, primarily in North America and Europe. Up to 5 percent of Americans have had an infestation, usually without symptoms. It is almost never a problem in countries such as France, where pigs eat root vegetables, not garbage.

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Whipworms are parasitic roundworms of the species Trichuris trichiura that infect a child’s intestinal tract. About two million Americans are affected, primarily children. The eggs of these worms are remarkably hardy and may resist freezing.

Cause

Whipworm infestation occurs when a child comes in contact with or ingests whipworm eggs in fecalcontaminated soil. Whipworms are small worms about one or two inches long that can live in the intestines for up to 20 years. Once the eggs hatch, the whipworm embeds itself into the mucous membrane. While the worms live in the large intestine and the appendix, they may infest the colon as well.

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