A trichinosis outbreak in Iowa

R. W. Currier, C. A. Herron, S. L. Hendricks and W. J. Zimmermann

During December 1975 and January 1976, seventy-nine persons in Postville, Iowa, and nearby communities were infected with trichinosis by eating locally produced summer sausage made from a mixture of venison (provided by deer-hunting parties) and pork. More than 242 local residents and holiday visitors from five other states and Canada were exposed to the sausage, in which the venison was mixed in a 2:1 ratio with government-inspected and commercially obtained pork. Laboratory examinations of incriminated sausage samples showed one to 65 Trichinella larvae per 100 g and indicated that temperatures during processing had not exceeded 54 degrees C. Corrective measures centered on improving temperature monitoring during the smoking process at the sausage-preparation plant to ensure that adequate temperatures are achieved. Persons possessing the implicated sausage were advised to destroy it or to cook it adequately before eating it.