Undercooked bear meat linked to parasitic outbreak: CDC

An outbreak of a rare parasitic disease has been linked to undercooked bear meat eaten by dozens of people at a gathering in North Carolina, a new U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report has revealed.

Health officials suspect trichinellosis, also called trichinosis, was behind 10 probable cases, according to the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

A growing percentage of recent trichinellosis cases are connected with the consumption of wild game meat, and black bears are common hosts for the parasite, the Oct. 10 report read.

The CDC said spreading awareness about how to safely prepare and cook wild game meat is the most effective way to prevent trichinellosis.

“Diagnostic antibody tests might have poor accuracy, and treatment costs can be substantial, according to the report.

Cooking wild game meat to an internal temperature of at least 165 F (or at least 74 C) is necessary to kill trichinellosis roundworms, it added.

Cause and symptoms

Trichinellosis can occur when humans eat undercooked or raw meat that harbours dormant larvae.

Signs and symptoms include myalgia and fever in 54 per cent of cases and facial swelling in 42 per cent, according to the report.

Trichinellosis can be severe, with 0.2 per cent of cases that are fatal.

North Carolina case

Public health officials learned of the suspected case in western North Carolina on Nov. 29, 2023 when a patient experienced flu-like signs and symptoms as well as facial swelling. The investigation later connected the patient to a gathering where undercooked meat was served earlier that month.

Among 34 attendees at the gathering, 22 reported consuming undercooked bear meat during the event and 10 experienced signs and symptoms of trichinellosis.

No bear meat was available for testing. Data from attendees and medical records from patients were used for the investigations.

Other cases

Thousands of bears are harvested each year in North Carolina, according to the CDC.

There are other cases of the parasitic disease. In 2022, there were six trichinellosis cases tied with undercooked bear meat harvested from Canada. Two of the infected people who only ate vegetables were sickened by cross-contamination.