Health risks when eating raw, rare pork

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor I Huynh Kim Long - Emergency Resuscitation Doctor - Emergency Resuscitation Department - Vinmec Danang International Hospital
Pork is a familiar food source in Vietnamese meals. In addition to bringing nutrients that are very good for health, pork is also a danger if not processed properly, especially raw and rare pork.

1. Pork can cause what diseases?

Disease caused by swine streptococcus infection: the direct cause is Streptococcus suis (S.suis) that is transmitted to humans when we come into contact with sick pigs or sick pigs that are not processed or cooked. People infected with swine streptococcus will have the main clinical manifestations such as: meningitis, hemorrhage, pneumonia, myocarditis and arthritis. Even severe conditions can lead to death due to bacterial toxins causing septic shock, endocarditis, multiple organ failure, sepsis. Trichinosis: Eating undercooked pork is the cause of helminthiasis in humans. Pork contaminated with Trichinella spiralis causes roundworm. This parasite can invade the body, intestines, muscles and other organs of the person causing nausea, abdominal pain, myositis, myocarditis... Eating undercooked pork is the simplest and easiest way for helminthiasis to enter and develop in the human body. Yersinia enterocolitis : is another type of bacterial infection commonly seen in people who eat raw pork. These bacteria are called coccidiosis. The disease is not too dangerous and can be cured on its own, but if you do not ensure to eat cooked pork, the risk of Yersinia infection in the intestine is very high.

Pork tapeworm disease: Sanitary conditions, eating habits such as eating rare meat, fermented pork rolls, pig blood soup are the causes of swine tapeworm disease in humans. Pork tapeworms are transmitted through the gastrointestinal tract to humans, by ingesting tapeworm larvae found in undercooked pork. This larva develops into an adult parasite in the small intestine, infecting by ingesting the eggs of the tapeworm. If left untreated, the eggs develop into cysts and go through the bloodstream to parasitize the skin, skeletal muscles, eyes, and brain, causing serious diseases in humans. Lung fluke disease: this fluke parasites in the peritoneum, under the skin, in the testicles... for a long time, causing neurological complications such as convulsions, seizures, pain and even paralysis of the head. Lung flukes also cause abscesses, coughing up blood, and pulmonary effusion, which is dangerous to health. People who eat raw pork are susceptible to these flukes. Not only does raw pork cause the above diseases, but cooked pork is also a potential cause of chronic diseases that are difficult to predict. Specifically:
Processed pork is more likely to lead to a greater insulin response than fresh meat, which increases the risk of diabetes and is a potential cause of unstable diabetes. In addition, cooked pork can produce polycyclic hydrocarbon compounds, heterocyclic amines - considered carcinogens in humans. Therefore, it is best to process pork in a simple and gentle way to limit the change of substances harmful to health. Some studies have also shown that people who eat a lot of red meat, including pork, have a greater risk of cardiovascular disease.

2. Preventing health risks from eating raw pork?

Processing cooked meat, properly and hygienically. Limit the processing of complex meat, causing changes in substances harmful to health. Do not eat blood pudding, raw, rare or undercooked pork. Quit the habit of eating rare meat to avoid danger. When there are signs of suspected disease, it is necessary to go to the hospital for examination and timely treatment. If there are signs of health risk when eating raw, rare pork, it is necessary to go to the nearest medical facility to examine and accurately determine the disease condition and the cause of the disease to have the most appropriate treatment orientation.

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