Often people buy meat "on hand" or in spontaneous markets. At the same time, buyers do not think about the possible risk to their health. After all, such products usually do not pass all the necessary checks and examinations. There is a great danger of acquiring finnous meat infected with tapeworm larvae. What are the signs of an infected product? And can it be neutralized at home? We will consider these issues in the article.
Description of the infected product
Parasitologists report a high risk of eating finnos meat. What it is? This is the name of the product containing the larvae (Finns) of bovine or pork tapeworm. These worms are otherwise called tapeworms. Once in the human stomach, the larvae turn into adult parasites that cause severe diseases.
Chain eggs penetrate the stomach of cows and pigs along with contaminated feed. Then larvae emerge from them. Together with the bloodstream, they enter the muscles. Such a disease is called cysticercosis. From infected animals and receive finnous meat.
It is impossible to see the larvae with the naked eye. They have microscopic dimensions. However, the larvae are surrounded by a bubble (cyst), which can be seen upon careful examination.
Such bubbles are not always visible on the surface of the product. They can be hidden deep in muscle fibers. Therefore, it is recommended to cut the product into pieces. If translucent white blotches are found in it, then this is a sign of finnous meat. Photos of the infected product can be seen below.
Danger of invasion
A person receives an invasion exclusively by eating meat with cysts. No other infection routes exist. Chainworm larvae die only at very high temperatures. Therefore, in most cases, infection occurs with poor heat treatment of the product.
Are there ways to neutralize finnos meat? What to do if cysts of parasitic worms are found in the product? Larvae die at a temperature of about +70 ... 80 degrees. Prolonged frying or boiling reduces the risk of infection. However, completely destroying the larvae at home is quite difficult.
Therefore, parasitologists recommend immediately throw away meat with cysts. After all, even prolonged heat treatment does not guarantee disposal of larvae. To completely destroy the Finns, you need to boil the meat under high pressure for 2-3 hours. It is very difficult to do at home, such processing is possible only in special autoclaves.
To preserve your health, it is better to completely abandon eating Finnish meat. The consequences of its use can be very serious. Next, we will consider in detail diseases caused by chains.
Bull tapeworm
This is a huge parasite, reaching a length of up to 6 m. Its body consists of segments. When it enters the human body, the worm larvae turn into an adult. Helminths parasitize in the intestines. So a serious disease arises - teniarinhoz.
This disease does not develop immediately. A person may notice the first signs of feeling sick several months or even years after eating infected meat. The following unpleasant symptoms occur:
- constant weakness and fatigue;
- frequent dizziness;
- nausea;
- stomach ache;
- stool disorders.
In addition, tapeworm segments that contain a large number of eggs can leave the human intestines. The patient needs urgent anthelmintic therapy.
Pork tapeworm
This is a large parasite up to 8 m long. Its body structure is the same as that of a bovine tapeworm. It also lives in the human intestines. The invasion of an adult parasite by doctors is called teniosis. This disease proceeds with even more severe symptoms than teniarinhoz. Patients complain of the following unpleasant manifestations:
- painful abdominal cramps;
- diarrhea
- fatigue;
- causeless weight loss.
In addition, advanced teniosis can lead to a dangerous complication - cysticercosis, which poses a serious threat to life and health.
Cysticercosis
As we already mentioned, with cysticercosis in the muscles of animals parasitic larvae of parasites. After eating contaminated meat, adult parasites form in the human body. But people also suffer from cysticercosis. A person receives such an invasion when swallowing pork tapeworm eggs. They enter the stomach through dirty hands, poorly washed vegetables and fruits, as well as unroasted meat. Eggs in the product can only be detected with a microscope.
In meat with cysts, parasite eggs are absent; it can contain only larvae. But cysticercosis develops as a complication of pork tapeworm infestation (teniosis). Sick people often suffer from vomiting. In this case, the segments of the parasite enter from the intestine into the stomach, where the eggs exit from them. Then larvae appear that are carried by different organs.
Cysticercosis is much more difficult than invasion by an adult. After all, larvae can get into vital organs - heart, brain, lungs. This can lead to disability and even death of the patient. All this suggests that eating pork with cysts is extremely dangerous.
Cysticercosis never develops due to infection with bovine tapeworm. Only adults can live in the human body, but not larvae.
Sanitary Examination
Before selling the meat is subjected to a thorough sanitary examination. Indeed, it can contain not only larvae of tapeworms, but also trichinella. These are roundworms that are found in pork and meat of wild animals. In humans, they cause severe invasion - trichinosis, which is accompanied by severe allergic reactions.
How is trichinosis and finnose meat rejected? First, consider how the product is tested for cysticercosis:
- The meat is cut. Examine the muscles of the abdomen, ribs, jaws and heart. It is here that cysts with larvae are most often localized.
- If Finns are found in the product, then their number is calculated per 40 cm 2 of muscle tissue. If their number is more than three, then the meat and internal organs are disposed of.
- If the number of cysts is less than three, then the product is considered conditionally suitable. But it must be neutralized. For this, the meat is cut into pieces and boiled in autoclaves under pressure. This treatment lasts 2-3 hours. It is also allowed to freeze meat for 10 days at a temperature of no more than -20 degrees. Small pieces (up to 2.5 kg) are salted and aged for at least 20 days.
In a similar way, the meat is checked for trichinella. However, this parasite cannot be detected with the naked eye. Therefore, sections of muscle fibers are examined under a microscope.
Trichinella is considered a dangerous parasite, which is extremely difficult to destroy. Therefore, upon detection of even a single individual, the worm utilizes the entire carcass and offal. Such meat is absolutely not suitable for consumption.
Wild meat
Helminthic invasions affect not only farm animals. Tapeworm larvae often inhabit the muscles of wild animals, such as moose or roe deer.
Therefore, the meat of animals obtained during hunting should be carefully checked for cysticercosis. A large number of larvae usually accumulate in the heart muscle. It is necessary to take this organ and cut it into several parts. If oval vesicles of white color are visible on the slices, then this is a clear sign of cysticercosis. This means that the entire carcass of the animal is infected.
Is it possible to eat finnosny meat of moose, roe deer and other forest artiodactyls? This question is often of interest to hunters. In no case should you eat such meat. At home, it is impossible to effectively neutralize it. It is believed that with prolonged heat treatment, the larvae die. But even in this case, the danger of invasion cannot be completely ruled out. In addition, in wild animals, a combined infection with several types of parasites is often found.
It’s better not to risk your health and throw away Finnish meat. You can also give it to dogs for food, for them the larvae of tapeworms are not dangerous. If an elk or roe deer has signs of tapeworm infestation, then only the liver can eat. Ribbon parasites do not penetrate this organ. However, by-products can be infected with other helminthiases.
Preventive measures
To prevent tapeworm infection, the following precautions should be observed:
- In no case should you eat poorly processed meat and raw minced meat. In the northern regions, people often eat stroganin. This is frozen raw meat, sliced into thin slices. Such a product is extremely dangerous and should be discarded.
- Particularly careful processing should be subjected to meat from animals hunted. Wild animals are much more likely to become infected with parasites than domestic pigs and cows.
- Any meat needs to be well boiled or fried. At the same time, it should be cut into small pieces. Even if cysts are not found in the product, the presence of parasite eggs, which are visible only under a microscope, cannot be ruled out.
- Only proven meat should be purchased. Avoid buying products from individuals.
- If suspicious white vesicles are noticeable in the meat, it is better to throw such a product away. Do not try to destroy the larvae at home, because the risk of infection still remains.
Compliance with these recommendations will help to avoid dangerous helminthic infestations.