Trichinella

A genus of parasitic nematodes in the class Enoplea — the trichina worms. Trichinella spiralis causes trichinosis, the most notorious foodborne worm infection: adults live in the host’s intestine while larvae encyst in striated muscle, surviving there for years. People are infected by eating larvae in undercooked pork, horse meat, or game. Modern controlled pig production has slashed prevalence in many countries, but wildlife reservoirs — wild boar, bears — keep the risk alive. Slaughter inspection detects it by artificial digestion or trichinoscopy of diaphragm samples.