It sounds like a BBQ from hell, doesn't it? Better be careful what you eat. A North Carolina BBQ left 10 people with a parasitic infection thanks to some rare big game meat.
We're not talking hot dogs and burgers either. The North Carolina BBQ served up bear meat to its guests. Unfortunately, the meat ended up being undercooked. In total 34 people attended, and roughly a third of them developed an illness. They became sick and soon learned they had parasites. The incident happened last year, but it's just now making the rounds
In a report released on October 10, 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed the scope of the infection. Around 22 of the 34 guests ate some of the undercooked bear meat. 10 of those 22 people developed parasitic worms. They exhibited a host of nasty symptoms including facial swelling, muscle pain, and feaver.
Five of those people got tested for Trichinellosis following the BBQ.
CDC explains: "Trichinella spp. nematodes are complex life cycle parasites that can cause trichinellosis (also called trichinosis) when humans consume undercooked or raw meat harboring dormant larvae."
Parasitic Infection
It's a relatively rare disease, but it's devastating. Generally, it used to occur in farm-raised pigs, but practices have caused those numbers to drop. These days wild game meat consumption accounts for most of the parasitic infections. Take this other case in which six people developed a case of the worms after eating undercooked bear meat.
It warns: "Signs and symptoms include myalgia and fever in 54 percent of cases and facial swelling in 42 percent. Timely identification is important because trichinellosis can be severe; 0.2 percent of cases are fatal."
The CDC also wrote, "Confirmatory diagnosis requires additional testing of convalescent samples, and none of those receiving testing returned for convalescent serum testing. No bear meat was available for laboratory testing."
The CDC says that all 10 people ended up getting a drug to treat their parasitic infection. The organization urges people practice proper safety when consuming game meat to avoid future cases like this.
"Diagnostic antibody tests might have poor accuracy, and treatment costs can be substantial," it warns. "Cooking wild game meat to an internal temperature ?165°F (?74°C) is necessary to kill Trichinella spp. parasites."
