Several family members fell ill with parasitic worm infections after eating black bear meat, resulting in the hospitalization of three individuals, according to a new report from CNN, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The incident, which occurred in 2022, involved an unnamed family who were attending a reunion in South Dakota. They consumed black bear meat that had been harvested in Saskatchewan, Canada, and frozen for 45 days before being thawed and eaten.
While the World Organization for Animal Health notes that freezing can kill some parasites commonly found in black bears, certain species are resistant to freezing. After consuming the meat, six out of eight family members developed symptoms of a parasitic roundworm infection.
Three of the affected individuals required hospitalization. Symptoms of such infections can vary from severe muscle pain and fever to potentially life-threatening conditions like heart problems and respiratory issues. Reported by CBC
Fortunately, all the infected family members have since recovered. Wildlife experts caution that all bear meat should be presumed infected unless proven otherwise.
The CDC emphasizes the importance of thoroughly cooking game meat, particularly wild game from northern regions, to prevent parasitic infections.
