Trichinosis confirmed in Sanikiluaq

Public Health Advisory

Trichinosis confirmed in Sanikiluaq

The Department of Health advises residents of Sanikiluaq that trichinosis has been confirmed in the community. Trichinosis is an infection often caused by eating the roundworm in raw or undercooked polar bear meat.

If you have eaten any uncooked polar bear recently and are experiencing stomach pain, muscle pain, diarrhea, swollen eyelids, sweating and weakness, you might be infected with trichinella and should go to the health centre.

Since trichinella cannot be killed by freezing, polar bear meat should be cooked until there is no pink or red left in the meat.

A fact sheet on trichinosis can be found on the Department of Health’s website: https://www.gov.nu.ca/sites/default/files/country_food_fact_sheets_tric…

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Media Contact:

Sara Arsenault
Communications Specialist
Department of Health
867-975-5949
@email