As hunters in Alaska head out on their fall hunts, those that are lucky enough to harvest will expose themselves to possible pathogens and parasites that can pose a risk to health before and after eating wild game. But there are steps that can be taken to prevent illness and exposure.
FAIRBANKS, Alaska - As hunters in Alaska head out on their fall hunts, those that are lucky enough to harvest will expose themselves to possible pathogens and parasites that can pose a risk to health before and after eating wild game.
But there are steps that can be taken to prevent illness and exposure. “It’s really important in the field to butcher the animal as soon as possible, getting the organs out, because that’s where bacteria will get into the animal and the meat will spoil,” explained Dr. Kimberlee Beckmen, a wildlife veterinarian with the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game. “So getting it gutted promptly is really important and getting the meat cooled down.” If any guts are nicked during this process, exposing internal fluids to the rest of the meat, she said it’s important to rinse that meat right away. “But the important part is getting it gutted right away and not waiting.” During this process, hunters may encounter a number of concerning sights on game meat. “People that are hunting moose or caribou, especially for the first time, will notice some parasites that are visible in the meat or in the animal’s organs, and these are really not a problem,” Beckmen explained. “The most common thing people see are little white blebs in the muscle or in the liver or on the heart or some larger spherical shapes in the lungs.” She said these visible parasites or signs of parasites are not transmissible to people but are transmissible to dogs. “Even if you ate the meat with it in there, you can’t be infected,” she added. However, those are just the visible parasites. “The ones you should be more concerned about are the ones you can’t see,” Beckmen said. This includes infections like. This is a parasitic worm that causes Trichinellosis, a severe illness that causes nausea, diarrhea, fever, cough and swelling in the face according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . While this parasite is uncommon in moose and caribou, “they also can have a parasite called Toxoplasmosis, which is very, again, microscopic,” Beckmen explained. The CDC states that this parasite can cause “damage to the brain, eyes, or other organs.” These parasites can be killed by properly cooking game meat to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. There are also bacterial concerns which can be spotted in meat as abscesses or pus pockets. Avoiding illness from these infections can be done by “carving around the area and discarding that part, and if your knife gets contaminated with the pus, then just cleaning it off with soap and water,” Beckmen said.Freezing the meat will not kill Trichinella in wild game. “Our trichinella is adapted to wildlife. It’s especially prevalent in brown bear and grizzly bear meat and polar bear meat,” she explained.While it’s less common in the fall, some hunters or trappers may also encounter tularemia in hares. “Trappers get infected when they’re skinning it and cut themselves and are exposed to the blood or internal organs,” Beckmen said.in people. “It causes crusts around the lips and eyes, especially of sheep, and it’s a virus that is very environmentally resistant,” she said.Avoiding infection while handling game can be achieved by cleaning knives and other tools with soap and water and wearing gloves while butchering game., where guides can be found that “go over the different diseases or common lesions that you might see, what the concerns are or are not, and what you can do about it, and what you might need to report.”Alaska woman charged in husband’s stabbing death just after anniversaryNearly $1M worth of drugs found on Sand Point fishing boat after captain pulls hatchet on officersState Fair prepares for first Cancer Screening Day
Bear Caribou Hare Dall Sheep Alaska Department Of Fish And Game Dr. Kimberlee Beckmen Meat Pathogens Parasites Trichinella Toxoplasmosis CDC Centers For Disease Control And Prevention Hunters Orf Contagious Eczema
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