Trichinella in Arctic and Northern Canada

Trichinella (Trichinella nativa) is a parasite that can infect most mammals, and some birds and other wildlife. In Arctic and Northern Canada, trichinella is known to infect a wide range of wildlife, including walrus, polar bear, foxes, wolves, and other species of marine and terrestrial mammals. It has adapted to Arctic conditions, and can survive as dormant larvae in infected muscle tissues long after an animal has been harvested, even if frozen. People who consume raw, frozen, or undercooked meat from an animal infected with trichinella might become sick with a disease called Trichinelosis (sometimes called Trichinosis) if they ingest these trichinella larvae.

Since 2017, Nunavut Arctic College and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI) have worked together to offer the Nunavut Trichinella Detection Program, which employs a specialized diagnostic procedure developed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) for the detection of Trichinella larvae in wildlife muscle tissues. The program is operated entirely by community members, with the Nunavut Research Institute (NRI) and NTI analysts providing training and demonstrations to youth, students, researchers, and others interested in the program. Analysts also complete annual proficiency assessments delivered by the CFIA. Through this unique collaboration, scientists and harvesters across Nunavut are working together to help prevent Trichinelosis infection and help Nunavummiut enjoy healthy country foods.

Read more about the Nunavut Trichinella Diagnostic Program.

• Transcript

  Father: I'm glad it didn't go into the water, or we would have had to tow it back to town!

  Panik: You did great dad, anaana will be so happy.

  Father: Now the hard work starts! We have to get this big guy butchered and in the boat! Your uncle Joe should be here in a couple of minutes to give us a hand.

  Panik: I can't believe we got a walrus on my first hunt.

  Father: You must be my lucky charm!

  Panik: Grandma says walrus is her favourite and it gives us strength and good health.

  Father: Yes, it is excellent country food full of vitamins and healthy fats. Inuit have relied on Walrus for food for a long, long time.

  Panik: Dad in school they said some walrus and polar bears can be infected with worms that can make people sick?

  Father: Yes, some walrus and polar bear meat can be infected with roundworms. We will need to make sure this walrus is not infected before we eat it.

  Panik: I don't see any worms!

  Father: You might not be able to see them, but they could still be there. Tomorrow we will go to the Wildlife Office and talk to Pauloosie. Let's keep the meat in a cold place while we go see him. He can tell us what to do to make sure it is safe to eat.

  [Panik and her father make their way to the wildlife office.]

  Pauloosie: I heard you got a walrus yesterday… I was expecting you!

  Father: Yes, Panik's first hunt and we got lucky!

  Pauloosie: Fantastic – did you bring me a sample for testing?

  Father: No not yet – we are not sure what kind of sample you need.

  Pauloosie: Oh ok. Well in that case I can give you a sample kit and you can bring me back the tongue.

  Panik: Walrus' have a tongue?

  Father: Yes, Panik and it is a lot bigger than yours.

  Pauloosie: The kit has gloves in it so be sure to wear them while cutting out the tongue. We need the whole tongue so try to get as much as possible. The sample goes in a zip lock and then you just fill out an information sheet, pop it in the bag and then bring it back over to me.

  Father: Do you do the testing here?

  Pauloosie: No, we send them to a lab in Iqaluit… and once they get it, it takes a day or two to let us know if it has the trichinella roundworm. Also, it is important to set aside the meat you harvested until we get the results back from the lab.

  Panik: How do they do the testing?

  Pauloosie: Last time I was in Iqaluit I got a tour of the lab! It's an interesting process.

  The lab receives your sample and prepares the meat by blending part of it up and mixing it in a large glass jar with warm water, acid and an enzyme called pepsin that helps break the meat down, kind of like our stomach's do.

  The mixture then sits in an incubator at around 45 degrees Celsius to allow the meat tissue to break down. This frees up the roundworm larvae. This is basically copying what happens when infected meat tissue is eaten and digested by an animal or a person.

  After the incubation is done, the technicians then pour the sample through a sieve into a large glass funnel. The mixture sits in the funnel for half an hour, then gets poured into a smaller funnel, and finally, a small amount of the mixture is poured onto a small round plastic petri dish which contains the roundworms if they are present. Then the lab technicians can look at the petri dish under a microscope to actually see the roundworms.

  If they see the Trichinella infection in the sample they will make note of it, then clean and disinfect the laboratory equipment and surfaces and wash hands before exiting the lab. They will notify the Government of Nunavut's Department of Health who will let the harvester know that the meat is not safe to eat unless it is fully cooked.

  If they do not see Trichinella in the meat sample they will also let the harvester know the meat is safe to eat!

  Panik: So, what do we do with our meat if it has roundworms?

  Pauloosie: The Government of Nunavut's Department of Health tells us that 'Meat must be thoroughly cooked before eating so you don't get sick. Freezing or fermenting does not kill the worms.'

  Father: Well, I guess we have to cross our fingers and wait to hear! I am glad this process is in place because I'd hate for my family to get sick.

  Panik: Ya we love walrus so much and Dad and I had so much fun being out on the water… but I don't want to get sick either. Better safe than sorry!

  Father: You said it, kulu.

  [Partnership logos: Nunavut Arctic College, Nunavut Tunngavik, Government of Canada]