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Fatal Infection in Thailand Linked to Eating Wild Boar
Recombinomics Commentary
May 25, 2005
>> A man died and his wife remained in an intensive-care unit yesterday after they ate undercooked boar meat earlier this month [May 2005]. A 43-year-old man died while receiving treatment at a local hospital and his 27-year-old wife is in a respirator. 2 neighbours who shared the food were also hospitalised, but their conditions were not serious. Dr Pongthep Pirawit, who treated the 4 patients, said they all suffered trichinosis.....
The patient and other local residents hunted and killed a boar on 13 May 2005. They then shared the meat, some of which was only partly cooked. "3 days later, we had difficulty breathing, felt dizzy and vomited all the time. [They] were rushed to a hospital," he said. <<
More details on the above cases would be useful. Trichinosis is rarely fatal and symptoms usually develop 10-14 days after exposure.
Since symptoms did not appear until May 16 or later, it is unclear when the patients were admitted, but death and lab results within six days of symptoms is unusual. The above media report was dated May 22.
Symptoms three days after exposure would be consistent with bird flu. H5N1 has been shown to cause both respiratory and gastro-intestinal symptoms and has been transmitted via consuption of uncooked or undercooked meat.
Lab testing for influenza A would be useful.
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