Undercooked bear meat at North Carolina gathering sparked parasitic outbreak, CDC says

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are reporting that ten North Carolinians may have suffered parasitic infections last year after eating undercooked bear meat, according to reports from WLOS.

In a report published Thursday, the agency explained that the people who were attending a “gathering” in November all experienced symptoms of trichinellosis.

The disease, which results from the consumption of undercooked meat that contains parasite larvae, causes muscle pain, facial swelling, and fever.

WLOS learned that nine of the people experienced facial swelling, while six had muscle pain and four reported having fevers.

Symptoms on average took 17 days to appear, with some not showing for at least 25 days.

However, the CDC told WLOS that it could not confirm whether the people had trichinellosis since no person who received initial testing for the disease returned for follow-up procedures.

The CDC suggests authorities communicate the risks of eating undercooked bear meat.

“Because black bears are common hosts for Trichinella ... communicating methods for properly cooking and preparing wild game meat is important,” WLOS learned.

Treating the disease can be difficult due to high costs and time constraints, according to the agency. People who have recovered from it might also have little incentive to return to a doctor for testing, the CDC added.

“Challenges associated with diagnosis and treatment of trichinellosis serve as a reminder for local health departments and wildlife management to communicate safe wild game meat preparation,” the report said.

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