Trichinella is what kind of organism and what does it do?

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Multiple Choice

Trichinella is what kind of organism and what does it do?

Trichinella is a parasitic roundworm (nematode). It lives in the intestines of animals and, when people eat undercooked meat containing the larvae, the larvae are released and migrate to and encyst in striated muscle tissue. This migration into muscle tissues is the defining feature and is what leads to trichinellosis, with symptoms like muscle pain and fever. From a public health standpoint, it’s a foodborne parasite associated with pork and wild game, so prevention focuses on cooking meat thoroughly to kill the larvae. It’s not a bacterium, virus, or fungus—it's a worm that travels from the gut to the muscles—so describing it as an intestinal roundworm that migrates into muscle tissues is the best fit.

Trichinella is a parasitic roundworm (nematode). It lives in the intestines of animals and, when people eat undercooked meat containing the larvae, the larvae are released and migrate to and encyst in striated muscle tissue. This migration into muscle tissues is the defining feature and is what leads to trichinellosis, with symptoms like muscle pain and fever. From a public health standpoint, it’s a foodborne parasite associated with pork and wild game, so prevention focuses on cooking meat thoroughly to kill the larvae. It’s not a bacterium, virus, or fungus—it's a worm that travels from the gut to the muscles—so describing it as an intestinal roundworm that migrates into muscle tissues is the best fit.

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