United States: Experts emphasize that trichinellosis is a “rare parasitic disease,” with around fifteen reported cases annually, typically contracted from wild game.
Ten people, including a ten-year-old child, were infected last year after consuming raw bear meat at a North Carolina barbecue, CDC showed.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the infection arises from consuming raw or undercooked meat containing trichinella larvae.
As per the Mayo Clinic, “These parasites infect animals such as bears, cougars, walruses, foxes, wild boars, and domestic pigs,” Fox News reported.
“You get the infection by eating the immature form of the roundworm (larvae) in raw or undercooked meat,” it added.
Details of the incident
Of the 35 attendees at the barbecue, 22 reported consuming raw bear meat, and ten exhibited signs of infection. Among the patients, nine experienced facial swelling, six had muscle pain, and only four showed documented fever.
Mayo Clinic detailed, “When humans eat raw or undercooked meat containing trichinella larvae, the larvae grow into adult worms in the small intestine,” Fox News reported.
“This takes several weeks. The adult worms produce larvae that travel through the bloodstream to different parts of the body. They then bury themselves in muscle tissue,” it continued.
What more has the report indicated?
While the report did not indicate what type of bear meat was eaten, the CDC explained that black bears are the hosts of trichinella larvae most commonly.
The CDC said that to get rid of the parasites that cause the infection; game meat must be cooked appropriately to the required thorough internal temperature of 165° Fahrenheit.
In January this year, six people got food poisoning from consuming raw bear meat prepared for a family gathering in South Dakota, Fox News reported.