Which parasite is a roundworm that can be contracted from undercooked pork?

Which parasite is a roundworm that can be contracted from undercooked pork?

• A. Trichinella spiralis
• B. Ascaris lumbricoides
• C. Enterobius vermicularis
• D. Taenia saginata

Answer: (A)

Underroasted pork can carry Trichinella spiralis, a nematode or roundworm. When you eat pork containing cysts with the larvae, those larvae are released in the small intestine, mature, and then migrate to muscles, causing symptoms like muscle pain and fever. This parasite is specifically tied to pork, which is what makes it the correct choice here. The other organisms listed are different types or sources: another roundworm exists, but it’s typically acquired through fecal-oral contamination rather than pork; a pinworm is spread by ingesting eggs on contaminated surfaces or hands; and a beef tapeworm comes from undercooked beef, not pork.

Underroasted pork can carry Trichinella spiralis, a nematode or roundworm. When you eat pork containing cysts with the larvae, those larvae are released in the small intestine, mature, and then migrate to muscles, causing symptoms like muscle pain and fever. This parasite is specifically tied to pork, which is what makes it the correct choice here. The other organisms listed are different types or sources: another roundworm exists, but it’s typically acquired through fecal-oral contamination rather than pork; a pinworm is spread by ingesting eggs on contaminated surfaces or hands; and a beef tapeworm comes from undercooked beef, not pork.