The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1937-07-29
PORK EATING IS SOURCE
OF TRICHINOSIS IN HUMANS
Pork Supply Should Come From
Pigs Raised Under Sanitary
Conditions

The July 2 number OF the United
States Public Health reports has an
interesting article on Trichinosis, by
Maurice C. Hall, Chief of the Division
of Zoology, National Institute of
Health. Trichinosis is a disease of
man, hogs and other animals in which
very small worms taken in as food
make their way to various muscles in
the body and there set up an infamma-
ton which is mild or severe according
To the number of worms. In severe
cases a fever as severe as typhoid
fever sometimes results and death has
reulted from it at times.
DR.. Hall says in part:
"The eating of pork is admittedly
the customary source of human trich-
inosis, but this thesis needs elabora-
ton as regards pork and population
groups. 1t is quite evident that
the warnings to cook pork well are
being disregarded to very great ex-
tent. Hogs fed on offal at
slaughter houses showed high Incl
dence of trichinae, about one in every
ten or twelve hogs being infested
Hogs kept in town by private families
and fed in small pens also showed a
high incidence of trichinae. Hogs fed
on corn and fattened in the open fields
on farms were almost entirely free
from trichinae. Pork scraps are
usually present in garbag and swill
The veterinary field force engaged in
hog cholera control has paid special
attention to this subject for many
wears in tracing outbreaks of hog
cholera; and in the State of Mary
land, where this subject was given
particular investigation by DR.. l. K
Atherton and his field force, approx
imately 80 per cent of outbreaks of
hog cholera were traced to garbage
containing uncooked pork scraps.
There is ample reason, from the
standpoint of public health and public
taste, for asking that our pork sup
ply come from pigs which are pro-
tected from trichinosis and raised I'M
der Clearly and sanitary surroundings
The three population groups
which stand out most conspicuously
in epidemics of trichinosis in tbs
United States are Germans, Italians
and the rural groups of farmers and
inhabitants of villages and small
towns in agricultural regions. In this
rural group, the story of hog-killing,
followed, especially around the holi-
day season, by big family party at
which fresh pork and pork. sausage
are served, and the subsequent out
break of an epidemic of trichinosis
traceable to this pork and sausage, is
an old and oft-repeated story. In such
cases, the hog responsible for the out
break is usually one which has been
fed garbage and similar things. In the
case of the family with only one pig
or few pigs, to which table scraps are
fed, pork scraps should be excluded
from the garbage or else thoroughly
cooked before being fed. Kitchen swill
is food of so little value that its dan
ger as a source of trichinosis far
outweights its usefulness. The feed
ing of table scraps to chickens is a
safe and profitable substitute for feed
ing them to swine.
The problem of the ga1bage-fed
hog is one that deserves the attention
of public health officers. The
available evidence establishes def
nitely that there is a high incidence
Of trichina infestation in man in this
country. The precise incidence varies
in different States, with enough evil
dence to suggest that over the country
as whole between one person in ten
and one person in twenty of those over
90 years old may be infested with trich-
mae.
The radical solution Of the trichin-
Osis problem appears to be this: Keep
all uncooked or inadequate.y cooked
pork of all sorts out of the feed of
swine"
The Maryland law forbids the feed
ing Of raw garbage to hogs because of
its relation to epidemics of hog-chol-
era and in view of the information con-
tanned in DR.. Halls article, the Health
Department will take an interest in
any cases of violation of this law
which are noticed and will cooperate
with the State Live Stock and SAM
tary Service to see that this is stopped,
DR. F. c. Peck health officer stated,