Outbreak of trichinosis in France associated with eating horse meat.

Abstract

The investigation of a trichinosis outbreak in Auvergne, France identified 23 cases in 12 households living in two cities-Clermont-Ferrand and Montluçon-between 15 February and 7 March 1991. One patient required intensive care, 15 had major symptoms, and seven had minor or no symptoms. Two case control studies demonstrated a significant (p < 0.01) association between eating horse meat and acute trichinosis. Veterinary services found that three supermarkets where the patients had bought horse meat during the suspected period had been supplied by a single wholesaler. The analysis of the wholesaler's records revealed that the implicated horse meat had been imported from a slaughterhouse in the United States. This outbreak occurred despite a requirement in France for all meat from horses slaughtered in France and in countries exporting meat to France to be examined systematically for trichinella.