Six people were infected with a parasite known as “brain worms” after eating undercooked black bear meat, or food contaminated with meat, at a family gathering in 2022 – said the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in a new report.
In May 2022, a group of nine family members gathered in South Dakota and shared kebabs made with black bear meat and vegetables. Earlier that month, one of the family members harvested the meat in northern Saskatchewan, Canada.
On the advice of a hunting outfitter, the family member froze the meat in a home freezer for 45 days to kill parasites. The family then thawed the meat and grilled it with the vegetables, according to the CDC.
However, the meat was accidentally served undercooked. Months later, family members showed up to doctors or hospitals with symptoms consistent with trichinellosis, a parasitic infection also known as brain worms.
After health officials reported the infection, the CDC investigated. Now, the health agency is reminding people to cook their meat to an internal temperature of ≥165°F (≥74°C).
Some states, such as Minnesota, require health care providers to report cases of trichinellosis to the state Department of Health.
That’s exactly what healthcare providers did in July 2022 when a 29-year-old man showed up at the hospital with symptoms consistent with trichinellosis: a fever, severe pain, swollen eyes, and a high white blood cell count, among other laboratory abnormalities.
It was the second time the man had been hospitalized and the fourth time he had sought treatment for his symptoms which began in early July. Only then did he inform medical providers that he was eating bear meat.
Trichinellosis is a relatively rare parasitic disease that usually develops when eating rare or undercooked meat from wild animals. The parasites, called roundworms, infect parts of the body and reproduce, causing illness.
In the United States, about 90 percent of cases come from bears.
At the May 2022 family reunion, only five of the nine family members ate bear meat while eight ate the vegetables it was cooked with.
Those who ate the bear meat acknowledged that it was undercooked after eating it – they reported that it was difficult to tell if it was properly cooked before eating it due to its color dark. They put the bear meat back on the grill to cook after realizing it was rare but it was too late.
After investigating, the CDC found that six of the eight people, including the man hospitalized, had symptoms consistent with trichinellosis – four who ate meat and two who ate only vegetables. Their ages ranged from 12 to 62, with one living in Arizona, four living in Minnesota, and one living in South Dakota.
Three people required treatment for trichinellosis, but two others recovered on their own.
Tests carried out on the bear meat, which had been frozen for 110 days in the home freezer, revealed freeze-resistant trichinella larvae. The person who owned the meat was instructed to throw it away.
The CDC recommends that the best way to prevent trichinellosis is to cook meat thoroughly and use a meat thermometer to ensure it is thoroughly cooked.
Additionally, those handling raw meat should wash their hands with warm water and soap before preparing and clean all tools used thoroughly after use.
News Source : www.independent.co.uk
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