A 2023 outbreak of Trichinellosis linked to undercooked bear meat in western North Carolina highlights the ongoing risks associated with consuming wild game, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report emphasizes the need to educate hunters and the public about safe meat preparation practices to prevent the parasitic disease. The outbreak in November 2023 involved 10 probable cases of Trichinellosis, a disease caused by consuming raw or undercooked meat containing Trichinella larvae.
The CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report detailed how bear meat at a gathering in western North Carolina was not adequately cooked, leading to illness in attendees. Symptoms and diagnosis challenges One of the patients was reported to the North Carolina Division of Public Health on Nov. 29, 2023, after experiencing flu-like symptoms typical of Trichinellosis, including muscle pain, fever and facial swelling.
Of the 34 attendees at the event, 22 reported eating the bear meat and ten developed symptoms. The affected individuals ranged in age from 10 to 40, with a median age of 17. However, confirmatory tests were challenging despite the clinical symptoms, as none of the patients returned for additional follow-up testing.
This, along with the absence of leftover bear meat for laboratory testing, complicated efforts to definitively confirm the outbreak’s source. The CDC’s report noted that diagnosing trichinellosis is often difficult because .
