*CAUTION* Undercooked Bear Meat. Trichinosis.

[BuckSnort]

Yeah, I know this is the mule deer forum but I bet a lot of y'all are like me and carry a bear tag while deer hunting just in case you see a nice bear... Kinda long but this might interest you and possibly keep you from getting sick... I wrote this on another hunting site and thought I might as well post it here too...

I have felt like crap for about 3 weeks now, well a week ago I was driving in town and felt short of breath and tightening of the chest. I pulled off the road thinking it would just go away, it didn't and got worse and worse until I felt like I was gasping for air so I called 911 and went for an ambulance ride to the ER..
At the ER they gave me oxygen and ran tests and x rays, nothing wrong on the x rays and blood work confirmed I was not having a heart attack (I'm 35) So they release me... The EKG did however raise some concern so they advised that I should have a heart stress test done (after they release me)to make sure all is good...
The next few days I was worried something was wrong with my heart.. I got sick of worrying so I went camping for the weekend (this last weekend) to clear my head and relax.. Well on the way home I get a text from a guy I met during a previous backpacking trip in Sept, it says...
"Hey Jason, just wondering if you and your brother got sick after eating that bear we killed, me and &^%&* did Doc thinks we have worms takes 4-6 weeks to start feeling bad"
DING!.. Light goes on..
Rewind to Sept 18th... Me and my bro backpacked into the high country where we met 2 guys that had killed a bear, we joined them at their camp for dinner where we had bear ribs and backstraps.. And looking back some of it was undercooked..
So I called him up and he asked me my symptoms (muscle fatigue,shortness of breath)and they are the same.. Now I figure I better get a hold of my bro since I have not heard from him in a while.. he probably has them too..Turns out he has been sick for 3 weeks with the same symptoms..
They can enter your central nervous system and cause respiratory paralysis ... This is what was happening to me...Scary
Sorry for the long post I'll shorten it up... All 4 of us got sick from the meat.. When the blood work comes back it will confirm that we all have Trichinosis which is very rare, only 12-20 cases in the USA a year..
If this sshit don't kill me I'm thinking of opening a bait shop... Think I'll call it "I GOT WORMS".....lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBrCaVySmDU

[tony270]

WoW I hope you get better, never trust meat that you think isn’t uncooked enough to kill all parasites, I know you know that. What's the treatment?

[lewdogg21]

Holy shit. Hope you recover quick.

[solus]

man that blows get well soon bud and thanks for the warning I never thought about getting sick from wild game

[Jules]

Bear is known for carrying trichinae worms, along with pork. I like to cook it low and slow, for a long time, because of that, and I won't make jerky out of it.

[Revo2811]

Dang good to know. Get better. Thanks bucksnort

[Live2hunt]

Hmmm.......I'm assuming the two guys you met are some first time strangers to you and your brother. I hope it wasn't some drug those guys put on the meat that you and your bro ate. I wonder if the guy that text ya is really sick or he's just saying it because he knew it was coming to ya. 4-6 days to get the symptoms, might makes more sense. But 4-6 weeks makes for a real suspicious.

Hope ya'll recover soon.

[dchunter]

That's crazy. I'm sure glad you fig. out what was going on with you. I've had things going wrong before, it was my heart, but drove me nuts till I was treated. At least you can now be treated and I'm sure you'll be fine. Good luck with the recovery.

[asaxon]

I thought most everyone who hunted appreciated that bear meat is "like pig" meat and needs to be cooked through as it is well known to carry the encysted lavra of Trichinella sp. What is below is from Wiki - I have bolded and underlined part.

Trichinosis, also called trichinellosis, or trichiniasis, is a parasitic disease caused by eating raw or undercooked pork or wild game infected with the larvae of a species of roundworm Trichinella spiralis, commonly called the trichina worm. There are eight Trichinella species; five are encapsulated and three are not.^[1] Only three Trichinella species are known to cause trichinosis: T. spiralis, T. nativa, and T. britovi.^[1] The few cases in the United States are mostly the result of eating undercooked game, bear meat, or home-reared pigs. It is common in developing countries where meat fed to pigs is raw or undercooked, but many cases also come from developed countries in Europe and North America, where raw or undercooked pork and wild game may be consumed as delicacies.

PS - Don't eat Polar bear liver (or old dog liver should you be so inclined) as it causes hypervitaminosis A.

You should see a doctor, if they prove you have trinchinosis, you'll be "Reportable" to the CDC- your 15 minutes of fame????Don't eat my liver.jpg

[asaxon]

I'd add that you can find all you want to know about trichinosis at the CDC web site

http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/trichinellosis/

In fact their site has a list of all sorts of cool stuff you might want to check out
http://www.cdc.gov/az/t.html

They even have ZOMBIE PREPAREDNESS. Now that is my govenment helping me out!@

http://www.cdc.gov/phpr/zombies.htm

[DFG_Bear]

We know that bear and pig meat may be significant sources of trichinellosis in hunters. And, L2H, it does take about 3-6 weeks for the full symptoms to present.

Coincidentally, we (CA DFG) just started working with UC Davis researchers to determine the prevalence of trichinellosis in bear and pig meat, and then we'll be looking to document the transmission rate to hunters or their families. We believe that many cases go undocumented because many folks don't mention to their physicians that they've just eaten wild pig or bear meat. The symptoms of many diseases/parasitic infections closely resemble the flu, which makes this condition difficult to diagnose. However, some severe cases exhibit the symptoms as BuckSnort described.

From the CDC:
To prevent trichinellosis, consumers should be advised to monitor for an adequate cooking temperature of 160^° F (71^° C) and observe the color and texture of the meat during cooking. A change in color from red to dark gray throughout and a change in texture such that muscle fibers are easily separated from each other are indicators that meat has been rendered safe to eat. However, game meats such as bear are very dark, making interpretation of color changes difficult; for these, adequate cooking might be better judged by texture and temperature. USDA recommends a higher temperature to allow for different cooking methods (e.g., microwave cooking) that might result in uneven temperature distributions throughout the meat.

USDA recommends 170-175 degrees F, if I recall correctly. I think those temperatures turn the meat to dust, but better to be safe than sorry.

-Marc

[Bubblehide]

Good stuff there Marc, I'd like to add that freezing the meat for 3 to 4 weeks can kill the buggers. However, we all should keep in mind that smoking the meat of a infected animal may not be adequate, as as many of us smoke our pork, this is something to keep in mind.

[spectr17]

Thanks for the heads up bucksnort. I know one guy who insists on eating bear jerky and I keep telling him about trichinellosis and he doesn't believe me. We're sticking this one to the top so everyone can see it. Thanks Andy and Marc for the updates too.

[suavegato]

WOW! I've always heard about that and been "warned" about it etc. but never heard of anyone actually getting it! Scary! Good thing you caught it and can get treated! What is the treatment anyway? Hopefully with treatment you will rebound 100%? What happens if left untreated???

Good luck, keep us posted!

[hb04]

I had some of my bear meat turned into jerky by a meat shop (Willow Glen). They jerky it at 165F for 12 hours to kill off the encysted worms. I haven't had a chance to bust out the sausages yet, but my cooking method for those will be what I use for wild pig. First I defrost them well (usually on low in the microwave if I'm in a hurry, or else overnight in the refrigerator). From there they get tossed into a big pot of boiling water for 45-90 minutes (depending on how many I'm cooking). I use a thermometer to check the internal temp - if I hit at least 170, I'm happy, but if I'm suspect of something, I'll push the cooking time longer (at this point they're boiling with peppercorns and other spices).

From there, they get split for inspection and then boiled more if needed, or else onto the grill or stove to brown and caramelize. That way I don't have to dry the living heck out of the meat, and I can still get those nice flavors out from grilling or pan frying.

Someone above mentioned freezing to kill the encysted worms. Be warned, that's not foolproof. There is at least one variant of trichinella that is immune to freezing. They have found that strain in Alaska, and I think in Canada, within the last 10 or 12 years. Better to not chance it - just cook it well.

[hb04]

Treatment depends on when the doctors catch it and what stage of infection you're in. If you suspect infestation within a few days to a couple weeks of exposure, there are some anti-parasitic drugs they can give you that will wipe out the critters (the wikipedia article lists them, FYI). Side effects of those drugs can be burdensome, but it beats worms on the brain or in your lung and heart tissue.

If they've already burrowed through your intestinal wall and into your bloodstream, most therapy is supportive (pain relievers, steroids for inflammation) at that point and you have to ride out the infection. That can take months (typical) to years (atypical) to clear. The muscle pain and other effects are caused by the worm larvae encysting in various body tissues. Over time those cysts will calcify (I guess sort of like fossilize) and that's that - they die. Depending on your parasite load, you can still have problems years later. What I've read and been told suggests that the vast majority of people clear the infection and are 100% again within a 6-12 months.

My gunsmith got trichinosis some years ago. Those worms made it into his heart and lungs and he was near death for several weeks. He's OK now (and still smokes like a stove!), but he won't touch bear meat again. Caveat - all that I laid out above is from my own research and from me having long and interesting conversations with my doctor. Of course at the end of it all he joked "See? That's why we Jews don't eat pigs and bears!!!" But he's a good guy (very much a Libertarian) and I appreciate his knowledge and skill.

Good luck, Bucksnort. 5 weeks in may be too late for the anti-parasite meds, but they have some good pain and steroid drugs that should really help.

I wonder if there is some place we could send away bear meat for testing. Sure would be handy.

WOW! I've always heard about that and been "warned" about it etc. but never heard of anyone actually getting it! Scary! Good thing you caught it and can get treated! What is the treatment anyway? Hopefully with treatment you will rebound 100%? What happens if left untreated???

Good luck, keep us posted!

[BuckSnort]

Thanks guys... I have been taking Albenza since monday (10-24-11) .. Today I actually feel better, no trouble breathing and no muscle pain/discomfort ,I even had a little energy too.. Hopefully I continue to get better asap... One of the guys who ate the same meat said he is feeling much much better just a little weak still, he is 6 days ahead of me with the meds....

[suavegato]

Well that's great to hear! I hope it continue's on the fast!
Good luck to you.

[m57jager]

Last years buck was a low elevation 90 degree archery buck. Gutted and quartered him. Tossed him in the cooler with the heart. When I got home and started cutting I found a heart full of worms. Eggs probably everywhere. Was going to toss it when the wife surprised me and said no way. I marked every vacuum pack and cooked it all over 160 degrees with a meat thermometer. Lots of ground and roasts. Just to be sure I went and got tested for parasites, worms, trich. Nothing. If you like your meat medium rare like me be careful. It pretty much has to be well done to be 160 degrees. Round worms, trichanellae can be in all wild game. Those of you that have livestock know goats are highly susceptible to worms. Deer are goats closest relatives. Be safe and eat well.

[Short-Track-Champ]

Hope that you have a speedy recovery Bucksnort. As a medium rare meat eater myself, I will be more cautious in the future with wild game.

[Bubblehide]

...I wonder if there is some place we could send away bear meat for testing. Sure would be handy.

You could take it to almost any lab; I'd bet you have a local lab that would test for it.

[hb04]

You could take it to almost any lab; I'd bet you have a local lab that would test for it.

Stupid question time.

What *kind* of lab?

I know you can get trich tests done by the University of Montana (they're big into bear research - all the pulled teeth from our CA bears actually go up to UM - Billings for cementum aging, I'm told). But that's a tad far to ship some bear meat.

Maybe I'll ask around at DFG and UC Davis (not in my area, but I have friends that went through the Vet Med program and I used to work for the Resources Agency so I sort of know how to navigate parts of DFG). Good call, Bubble. :)

[Bubblehide]

HB04, I live in the Los Angeles area, so it might be different where you are. But, there are plenty of privately owned , open to the public, labs in my area that are more than willing to test most anything (from paint, constructions samples, water, drug tests..., usually for a reasonable price. Then there are private medical labs also in my area; there standards for accepting testing and releasing results are a bit more stringent, but even they will test such things as bear or pig meat. Granted, HMO labs will simply not test unless one of their doctors approves the order, and that would never happen for game meat as there services are only intended to be on the patient. My guess about university labs, is that you would need to know someone or have an in if they don't have a study going on, that is directly related to what you want tested. However, since DFG is working with UC Davis on such a study, I'd say you could easily get pig or bear meat tested by them if you talk to the right person/department head/professor, i.e. principal investigator of the study. Considering that UC Davis has a study underway, one would think that they would want as many samples as they could get from a variety of areas throughout the state. I have no idea how there study is designed, but I would think that they would want to be able to identify any possible specific areas of the state that has any type of infected concentrations, and then attempt to track it's spread, considering what Marc stated about the study.