According to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a number of family members who consumed bear flesh that had been harvested by one of the family members were subsequently infected with brain worms.
The Minnesota Department of Health was notified in July 2022 that a 29-year-old man had been hospitalized on multiple occasions over a two-and-a-half-week period. The man’s symptoms included fever, severe muscle soreness, swelling around the eyes, and other afflictions.
After his second hospitalization, the man disclosed to his physicians that he had participated in a family reunion in South Dakota a few days prior. He also mentioned that one of the meals they shared consisted of kabobs made from black bear meat that had been “harvested by one of the family members in northern Saskatchewan.”
The meat was thawed for the entrée after being stored in a freezer for a month and a half. The CDC reported that the meat was initially and inadvertently served rare due to its darker color. The kabobs were initially consumed by family members; however, they observed that the meat was undercooked. Consequently, they were recooked and re-served.
Nine family members, primarily from Minnesota but also from South Dakota and Arizona, consumed the meal. However, some of them only consumed the vegetables, which had been prepared and served in conjunction with the bear flesh.
Ultimately, the 29-year-old male was diagnosed with trichinellosis, a roundworm that is uncommon in humans and typically acquired through the consumption of wild game. The larvae can then progress through the body to muscle tissue and organs, including the brain, once they have entered a human host.
These freeze-resistant nematodes were diagnosed in five additional family members, including a 12-year-old girl and two other family members who had consumed only the vegetables at the meal. The Mayo Clinic reports that albendazole is used to prevent the worms from imbibing sugar, resulting in their death and energy depletion. In total, three family members were hospitalized and treated with albendazole.
The CDC reiterated their warning that trichinella parasites can cross-contaminate other foods and recommended that the only reliable method of eliminating them is to thoroughly cook the meat in which they are found to an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F.
The CDC stated that the prevalence of trichinella parasites among untamed animals is subject to a wide range of estimates. However, it is believed that up to one-quarter of black bears in Canada and Alaska may be infected.
Earlier this year, brain worms gained national attention when presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. disclosed that a parasitic worm he contracted years ago “ate a portion” of his brain, potentially causing cognitive difficulties.
Dr. Céline Gounder disclosed to “CBS Mornings” that seizures, headaches, vertigo, and vomiting are potential symptoms of brain worm infection. Nevertheless, some individuals who contract the nematodes may not experience any symptoms at all. Gounder stated that these parasites are typically “calcified” as a result of being “walled off” by the immune system.
