Trichinella Nativa Infection from Black Bear Meat: A Rare Cause of Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis

Trichinellosis is a rare helminthiasis caused by nematodes of the Trichinella genus. Human infection occurs following the consumption of undercooked meat infected with cysts of Trichinella larvae. Clinical manifestations range from asymptomatic presentations to fatal disease; frequent signs and symptoms include eosinophilia, fever, periorbital edema and myalgias. We report a rare complication of Trichinella nativa infection: a cerebral venous sinus thromobosis (CVST) and subsequent bilateral abducens nerve palsy, resulting from the ingestion of dried meat from a black bear hunted in Northern Ontario.