Trichinellosis: a possible link between human infection and the traditional earth-oven or ‘mumu’ method of cooking in Morehead District, Western Province, Papua New Guinea

Objective: To investigate if the traditional method of cooking pig meat in an earth-oven or mumu, as practiced by people in Morehead District, Western Province, Papua New Guinea (PNG), could be a source of infection with Trichinella papuae and of the disease trichinellosis. Procedure: As the locality lacks suitable river stones normally used in a mumu in PNG, people use various substitute materials, such as pieces of termite mounds, balls of dried clay and small rough stones. Samples of these were tested and compared with conventional mumu stones in their capacity to retain heat. Results: None of the substitute materials tested was as efficient in retaining heat as the conventional mumu stones. Conclusions: Cooking pig meat in a mumu in Morehead District has the potential to be a source of infection with T. papuae. Loss of heat in a Morehead mumu is accelerated probably as the mumu is prepared on the surface of the ground and not in a shallow pit or depression as is the custom elsewhere in the country.