This specimen is a section of a muscle biopsy taken from a 55 year old woman who migrated from Germany some thirty years ago. She is deeply involved in the German Society in Australia and also runs a firm which imports smallgoods from a family business back in Germany. For five years, she has suffered from chronic pain and fatigue in her arm and intercostal muscles, for which doctors can give her no relief.


1) Identify the parasite presented in the specimen (genus and species)

Trichinella spiralis

2) Suggest how she may have contracted the infection

Not considered to be endemic to Australia, therefore most likely contracted from eating larvae in an imported meat product