Ten people in North Carolina likely suffered a parasitic infection last year after eating undercooked bear meat, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 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, according to the report.
Nine of the people experienced facial swelling, while six had muscle pain, and four reported having fevers, the CDC said, adding that the median age of the group was 17 years.
Symptoms, on average, took 17 days to appear, with some not showing for at least 25 days, according to the report. The CDC noted it could not confirm whether the people had trichinellosis since no one who received initial testing for the disease returned for follow-up procedures.
Twelve other people at the gathering reported eating undercooked bear meat. The CDC suggested local authorities communicate the risks of doing so.
“Because black bears are common hosts for Trichinella … communicating methods for properly cooking and preparing wild game meat is important,” the report reads.
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 says.
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