A small, round parasitic worm that causes trichinosis.
The species of Trichinella that commonly infests humans, causing trichinosis. Infection occurs when raw or improperly cooked meat, particularly pork and wild game, containing cysts is eaten. Larvae excyst in the duodenum and invade the mucosa of the small intestine, becoming adults in 5 to 7 days. After fertilization, each female deposits 1000 to 2000 larvae, which enter the blood or lymph vessels and circulate to various parts of the body where they encyst, especially in striated muscle.