Six Get Brain Worms After Eating Undercooked Bear Meat

The CDC reports that six people who were at a family gathering that fed undercooked bear meat are now ill with a disease called “brain worms.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a statement on Thursday stating that a 29-year-old male from Minnesota was hospitalized after experiencing symptoms such as high temperature, severe muscular pain, and edema around the eyes.

Regrettably, the underdone meat was accidentally served. Members of the family began exhibiting symptoms consistent with trichinellosis, a parasitic condition sometimes known as brain worms and eventually began visiting physicians or hospitals.

After health authorities reported the virus, the CDC began an investigation. The health department has stressed the requirement of thoroughly cooking beef to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius).

According to the CDC, bear meat kebabs sourced from northern Saskatchewan, Canada, were served during the family celebration.

The family members had a hard time visually determining whether the meat was done because of its dark hue, which led to the unintended serving of rare beef.

After the patient’s symptoms were observed, a positive Trichinella immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibody test result confirmed his diagnosis.

A tiny parasite known as Trichinella—sometimes dubbed a brain worm—causes a food-borne illness known as trichinosis, according to the New York State Department of Health.

According to interviews conducted by health authorities in all three states, five members of the family ate the raw bear meat, and eight more ate vegetables cooked with the undercooked meat.

Of the six household members who became sick, four ate both the bear meat and the vegetables; the other two ate only the vegetables.

In the end, all six members of the sick family were fully recovered.

Upon receiving the bear’s carcass and meat samples for examination, the CDC urged the family member to dispose of any excess meat promptly.