2180. Trichinella spiralis, IgG antibodies

The test detects IgG antibodies to the causative agent of trichinosis, Trichinella spiralis. IgG antibodies appear 2-3 weeks after infection and can persist for a long time, allowing for the diagnosis of both current and past infections.

Trichinella spiralis is a roundworm that causes trichinosis. Humans become infected by consuming raw or undercooked meat, most commonly pork or wild game, containing encapsulated larvae.

After infection, the larvae enter the intestine, where they mature into adult worms. Subsequently, the new larvae enter the bloodstream and migrate to the striated muscles, where they encapsulate.

The clinical picture typically begins with mild gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea), which appear within a week of infection. During migration, the larvae penetrate the muscles (1-6 weeks after infection), causing fever, muscle pain and weakness, facial swelling and periorbital pain, hemorrhages under the nails and into the conjunctiva, symptoms of vasculitis, urticaria, and sometimes cough and shortness of breath. Due to the difficulty of directly detecting the parasite in the human body, serological tests for IgG are the main method for diagnosing the disease.

• If trichinosis is suspected (muscle pain, facial swelling, fever, eosinophilia), especially after consuming meat that has been cooked in questionably.
• For differential diagnosis in cases of unexplained fever, myalgia, and hypereosinophilia.
• When examining individuals from risk groups (hunters, farmers, tourists who have eaten wild game).

• Venous blood

In order to exclude factors that may affect the test results, we recommend to follow the preparation rules: