Deer Hunters Contract Toxoplasmosis From Undercooked Venison

A recent study published by CDC involves a group of hunters who became infected after all consumed undercooked deer meat.  A group of 10 hunters traveled from Canada to Illinois for a deer hunt.  After returning, about 8 days later, six of the 10 hunters had symptoms of fever, severe headache, myalgia, and articular pain.  It was diagnosed as an acute toxoplasmosis

"Human T. gondii infection is caused by ingestion of tissue cysts in undercooked meat; ingestion of soil, water, or food contaminated with oocysts; or, less frequently, directly from feline feces"

"Little is known of the natural epidemiology of T. gondii infection in white-tailed deer. Given that deer are strict herbivores, it is believed that they become infected postnatally by ingesting oocysts from the environment (7). When ingested, the parasites form tissue cysts in the skeletal muscle and other tissues. When the infected deer die, tissues are scavenged by feline carnivore species, including bobcats and cougars (7). The life cycle then continues, and these cats shed more oocysts into the environment. Estimated Toxoplasma spp. prevalence among white-tailed deer varies across the United States from 15% to 74% (Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota) (7,9,10,12)."

"Recommendations include not eating raw or undercooked game meat and cooking to an internal temperature of at least 160°F. They also recommend washing hands with soap and water after handling raw meat and cleaning all materials that come in contact with raw meat thoroughly after use. In addition, cysts and oocysts of toxoplasmosis might be destroyed by freezing the meat (23,24). Because the prevalence seems to be high in wild animals in which study prevalence was determined, freezing the meat seems to be efficient to destroy cysts and oocysts."

Emerging and Infectious Diseases
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/2/19-1218_article
Volume 26, Number 2—February 2020
Acute Toxoplasmosis among Canadian Deer Hunters Associated with Consumption of Undercooked Deer Meat Hunted in the United States
Colette GaulinComments to Author , Danielle Ramsay, Karine Thivierge, Joanne Tataryn, Ariane Courville, Catherine Martin, Patricia Cunningham, Joane Désilets, Diane Morin, and Réjean Dion

Food Safety Quick Hits - Hyperlinks for June 5, 2015

A Colorado meat company is recalling ground elk meat after analysis conducted by the company showed the product was positive for E. coli O157:H7.   The product was packed in 205 eight pound cases containing 8 one pound packages and was shipped to NC, SC, and VA.

A Michigan company is recalling close to 50,000 lbs of pork sausage due to potential contamination of foreign material.  The notice said the issue was discovered during verification testing. 

Deer hunters, be sure downed animal was healthy before eating venison

November 22, 2013

 
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Food-safety specialists with Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences annually issue warnings to deer hunters to keep food safety in mind if they are fortunate enough to get a buck or a doe, and this fall is no exception.

However, this year because of the discovery of chronic wasting disease in wild Pennsylvania deer, they are cautioning hunters to be sure their animal appears healthy.

Chronic wasting disease -- often called CWD -- is a chronic, degenerative neurological disease affecting the central nervous system of animals such as deer and elk. The disease has been moving east in recent decades.

"In the past year, three free-ranging deer harvested by hunters in Blair and Bedford counties were found to have the disease," said Martin Bucknavage, senior food safety extension associate in the college's Department of Food Science. "While there is no evidence that supports CWD being linked to human illness, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does recommend against eating meat from deer infected with the disease."

Bucknavage noted that it is best to take precautions, such as making sure the deer you killed appears to have been healthy, and to follow best practices for handling and processing deer, such as wearing rubber gloves and minimizing contact with brain and spinal cord material.

"While the risk of CWD is very low, hunters need to focus on the overall safety of the meat. This starts from the time the deer is downed until it is processed and cooked for eating," he said.

"Each year we hear stories of people who get sick a day or two after getting a deer, most often from cross contamination, the result of not handling the raw meat properly."

Bucknavage urges hunters to do the following:

-- Carry a pair of rubber gloves with you when hunting and then be sure to wear them when field dressing the deer.

Deer carry pathogenic bacteria, and so precautions are needed to prevent cross contamination, he pointed out. "Whether you get blood on your hands or clothes or not, be sure to wash thoroughly in soap and water after handling the carcass or the meat."

-- Eviscerate the animal as soon as possible. This helps the carcass dissipate heat and removes internal organs where spoilage can occur more quickly.

Be sure to avoid cutting into the internal organs, especially the intestines. There are large numbers of bacteria -- including pathogenic bacteria -- in the intestines. "Tie off the anus," he said. "This can be done with a string or rubber band."

-- Evaluate the internal organs of the deer during field dressing. If any of the internal organs smell unusually offensive, or if there is a greenish discharge, black blood or blood clots in the muscle, do not consume the meat.

"If you kill a deer and question the safety and quality of the meat, immediately contact the Pennsylvania Game Commission," Bucknavage said. "The agency has policies for authorizing an additional kill."

-- The brain, spinal cord, spinal column and lymph nodes of deer are considered high risk for CWD, so avoid cutting into those tissue when butchering. If possible, hang deer by hind legs with head down when aging or butchering.

"Most cattle and livestock processed in this country are hung with the head down," Bucknavage said. "That prevents brain and spinal fluids from contacting the meat."

-- Remove all visible hair, dirt, feces and bloodshot areas from the internal cavity. Wipe the inside of the body cavity with a dry cloth or paper towel. If you rinse the cavity, be sure to dry thoroughly. Excess moisture will encourage bacterial growth.

-- Be sure to clean residues from knives and equipment, then sanitize with a chlorine bleach solution. It is wise to carry sanitary wipes with you to clean knives in the field.

If the outside temperature is greater than 40 Fahrenheit (F), you can help to chill the carcass by inserting plastic bags of ice or snow into the body cavity. Once out of the field, get the carcass into a cooler or refrigerator as soon as you can. If the temperature is below 40 F, prop open the cavity with sticks to promote cooling.

Don't tie the deer to the hood of your car. This will serve only to heat the carcass.

Because of the possibility of pathogens on the meat, such as E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella, it is important to properly cook the meat to a minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees F or higher before eating.

The USDA guidelines are available online through Penn State's Food Safety website. The Department of Food Science offers hunters a wealth of information on the preparation of wild game from the field to the table.

The Field Dressing Deer Pocket Guide explains how to field-dress a deer safely. Extensively illustrated in full color, it explains the process of field dressing and also covers important food-safety information for hunters. See it online.

http://news.psu.edu/story/296308/2013/11/22/deer-hunters-be-sure-downed-animal-was-healthy-eating-venison

Man treated for rabies after field dressing infected deer

A Pennsylvania man was treated for rabies after exposure from an infected deer he had shot and field dressed.
A few important points:
Hunters should avoid field dressing deer that look abnormal or that had acted abnormally (including hides with large or multiple lesions, internal organs with abscesses or that are foul smelling, or an animal that has exhibited unusual behavior, such as this case where the animal is growling.) In most all cases, the hunter should still take down the animal and then contact the Game Commission.
Always wear latex gloves when field dressing a deer, being sure to keep fluids from contracting your own skin.  (That includes refraining from spreading blood on your face as you pretend to be the Great Hunter.)
A little more on rabies from the CDC:

Rabies is a preventable viral disease of mammals most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. The vast majority of rabies cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each year occur in wild animals like raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes.

The rabies virus infects the central nervous system, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death. The early symptoms of rabies in people are similar to that of many other illnesses, including fever, headache, and general weakness or discomfort. As the disease progresses, more specific symptoms appear and may include insomnia, anxiety, confusion, slight or partial paralysis, excitation, hallucinations, agitation, hypersalivation (increase in saliva), difficulty swallowing, and hydrophobia (fear of water). Death usually occurs within days of the onset of these symptoms
People usually get rabies from the bite of a rabid animal. It is also possible, but quite rare, that people may get rabies if infectious material from a rabid animal, such as saliva, gets directly into their eyes, nose, mouth, or a wound.
Scratches, abrasions, open wounds, or mucous membranes contaminated with saliva or other potentially infectious material (such as brain tissue) from a rabid animal constitute non-bite exposures. Occasionally reports of non-bite exposure are such that postexposure prophylaxis is given.

Hunters risk run-in with rabieshttp://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120203/NEWS/202030348/-1/NEWS01

Venison and STEC E. coli

In this CDC report, high school students became infected with STEC E. coli from the mishandling / undercooking venison. Here, a group of students collected deer, processed them, and then prepared them as kebobs…..at school. 2 of them were hospitalized with STEC E.coli, (29 were ill, most were not E.coli related, rather some other type of illness). 

Studies have shown that deer do carry pathogenic E. coli. From the linked CDC report: “A study of white-tailed deer feces in Minnesota and Wisconsin found non-O157 STEC in 5% of samples (9). … Prevalence rates of E. coli O157 in deer have ranged from 0.25% to 2.4% (10–12). Previous outbreak investigations and case reports have linked E. coli O157 infections to deer (13–15).”
 
STEC E. coli is a very serious pathogen that can result in kidney failure and death. It is important for those processing, handling, and preparing venison to follow accepted practices of cooking, cleaning, chilling, and preventing cross contamination. In regard to cooking, wild game meat such as venison should be cooked o 165ºF.

Safety reminders, advice offered for field dressing, processing deer

University Park, Pa. -- For hunters lucky enough to bag a deer in the upcoming seasons, a food-safety specialist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences offers some advice to properly field dress and store the carcass, and then process the meat.
"The time from when the deer is downed until it is processed can have the largest impact on the safety and quality of the meat," said Martin Bucknavage, food safety extension associate in the Department of Food Science. He warns that it is important for hunters to follow these guidelines:
1. Eviscerate the animal as soon as possible. This helps the carcass dissipate heat and removes internal organs where spoilage can occur more quickly.
2. Wear a pair of rubber gloves when field dressing the deer. Deer carry pathogenic bacteria, and so precautions are needed to prevent cross contamination. If you get blood on your hands or clothes, be sure to wash thoroughly in soap and water.
3. Be sure to avoid cutting into the internal organs, especially the intestines. There are large numbers of bacteria -- including pathogenic bacteria -- in the intestines. Tie off the anus. This can be done with a string or rubber band.
4. If the outside temperature is greater than 40 F, you can help to chill the carcass by inserting plastic bags of ice or snow into the body cavity. Once out of the field, get the carcass into a cooler or refrigerator as soon as you can. If the temperature is below 40 F, prop open the cavity with sticks to promote cooling. Don't tie the deer to the hood of your car. This will serve only to heat the carcass.
5. Do not age the deer if the temperature is greater than 40 F. While experts don't agree on the need for aging, it is certain that hanging a deer at temperatures greater than 40 F will probably lead to unwanted spoilage. The greater the temperature above 40 F, the quicker spoilage will occur.
6. Remove all visible hair, dirt, feces and bloodshot areas from the internal cavity. Wipe the inside of the body cavity with a dry cloth or paper towel. If you rinse the cavity, be sure to dry thoroughly. Excess moisture will encourage bacterial growth.
7. Clean residues from knives and equipment, and then sanitize with a chlorine bleach solution. It is wise to carry sanitary wipes with you to clean knives in the field.
"Most importantly, if during field dressing, any of the internal organs smell unusually offensive, or if there is a greenish discharge, black blood or blood clots in the muscle, do not consume the meat," Bucknavage warned. "If you kill a deer and question the safety and quality of the meat, immediately contact the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The agency has policies for authorizing an additional kill."
Processing your meat
After field dressing and transporting the carcass, hunters have to decide what to do with the meat. "While some leave the choices to their local butcher, many are finding that they can save money and increase their personal enjoyment by butchering their own deer," Bucknavage said.
"It certainly is easier to turn your trophy deer into a pile of ground meat, but if the hunter is willing to learn proper butchering and cooking techniques, the possibilities for preparing your venison are endless."
Bucknavage urged hunters to keep a few general rules in mind when planning how to butcher their game.
"When it comes to cooking whole cuts of meat, it is important to remember that as we move away from the hooves and horns, the cuts of meat become more tender," he said. "These tender cuts, such as the tenderloin, should be cooked quickly at a higher temperature. For tougher cuts, use low, moist heat to cook the meat more slowly. This helps break down the connective tissue within those cuts."
Because of the possibility of E. coli O157:H7 contamination of the meat, it is important that the venison cuts reach a minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit or higher -- which is a major issue, Bucknavage said, when making the always-popular venison jerky.
"One of the biggest concerns when making jerky is that people don't heat the meat to the proper temperature," he said. "It is important that jerky be heated just until it reaches at least 160 to 165 degrees. This can be accomplished by dipping the slices into a hot marinade for a minute or so before beginning the drying process."
Canning is another option for venison."Preserving venison through canning is a little-used practice that can turn tougher venison cuts into a ready-to-go ingredient for a favorite stew recipe," he said. "It is important to follow standard USDA guidelines to safely preserve your venison."
The USDA guidelines are available online through Penn State's Food Safety website.
Penn State's Department of Food Science offers hunters a wealth of information on the preparation of wild game from the field to the table. The "Field Dressing Deer Pocket Guide" -- a free, 12-panel publication -- explains how to field-dress a deer safely. Extensively illustrated in full color, it explains the process of field dressing and also covers important food-safety information for hunters.
"Proper Field Dressing and Handling of Wild Game and Fish" is for hunters and anglers who handle animals, fish and birds in the field. It details the potential risks involved in contaminating the meat or fish while dressing, handling and transporting it. This free, 12-page, illustrated publication describes the importance of temperature control and gives detailed instructions for safe field dressing and transporting of deer, small animals and game birds.

A companion booklet,"Proper Processing of Wild Game and Fish" is a free, 20-page publication that describes safe processing techniques for wild game and fish. Aging, cutting, curing, smoking, canning, and jerky and sausage making are detailed. The importance of temperature control is discussed, and various types of meat thermometers are identified. A final section includes recipes for game birds, fish and venison.