Bear meat & Trichinosis?

[Fireguy]

Hey all,
Havent been around much for awhile. Now that Im setting aside some time to get some meat proccessing done, I could use some help.

I shot a black bear in Manitoba this spring. I would like to consume the meat, but everything I read on the net has me concerned. I see freezing meat for over 20 days helps kill the parasite, but not all. Cooking meat to 170 will also kill the parasite, but I imagine the meat will be pretty chewy and dry.

I would like to make sausage or jerky, but am worried about the low temps. I have not been able to find any info that says if curing the meat will kill the parasite. Any body have any info or experiances that might help me out?

Thanks for any advice!

[Gunslinger]

I'd love to help, but I've never killed, cleaned, processed or even eaten bear. So I haven't a clue.

[Texas-Hunter]

I dont worry about it with the wild hogs or deer I harvest.. But Bear I would not take any chances. Curing (salting), drying, smoking, or microwaving meat does not consistently kill infective worms. Or freezing for long periods of time may not kill the parasite. Any sausage I made I would take it to minimum 165* just to be safe..

[Bassman]

Bear meat should be treated as pork. Trichinosis is pretty much unheard of in pork today, but bears still eat as they have for hundreds of years (except where there is garbage). I have eaten bear meat but cooked well done as in a crock pot with onion soup mix. Wasn't bad. There is no reason you couldn't smoke it (as Ken said) to at least 165 degrees. Hope this helps.

[davidmcg]

Hey Gunny, don't they have black bear over that way? I thought they did anyhow.

As far as eating them black bears, there has to be a way to do it. I will probably never have the opportunity or necessity to shoot a black bear. But when you find out, could you please post the info here.

[Gunslinger]

Hey Gunny, don't they have black bear over that way? I thought they did anyhow.

As far as eating them black bears, there has to be a way to do it. I will probably never have the opportunity or necessity to shoot a black bear. But when you find out, could you please post the info here.

We do have them here. In fact I think one is getting my wifes chickens. What ever it is it has to move a 5 gal bucket full of water (40 lbs) and open a gate latch to get to them. Ain't no coon that talented. It's getting 2 every night.

They are talking about opening a season on them, but it will be very limited and by lottery (read rich folks only).

Sorry to bring it up again, but the USDA and EVERY health department recommends parboiling wild game to get rid of this stuff. I really don't think it will hurt a bit to parboil for a few minutes.

[Kingudaroad]

After a little research, it seems that bear meat is not affected the same as pork by the cold of the freezer, so unlike pork, the freezer will not kill the worms. Cooking to a minimum internal temperature of 160 seems to be the ticket.
Most are recommending a lower cooking temp for a longer time (hey thats what we do) to break down the grain of the meat.
In fact a popular preparation method is to corn the meat(curing like corned beef). A google search of "corned bear" turns up a lot of info.

Bottom line- Those worms will be dead at 160 degrees.

[davidmcg]

Hey Gunny hit that lottery drawing and see if you can get a stamp for it. That would be one great hunt. Post some pics if ya get one. You know, a lot of people in Kansas are a little nervous about them bears coming up the Marias De Cygnes river Valley and getting into things along the state line.

Might not be a bear. Might be a two legged critter stealing them birds. Had a teenager out here once that was prone to that. But he was cured when he took some .22's in the shoulder and butt. Wasn't my doing. If it was he would be resting peacefully. But, he learned his lesson and is all grown up and making a decent respectable living now.

[Kyote]

Public Health > Epidemiology > Bulletin Index > Web Document
Five Cases of Trichinosis - Why Bear Meat Must Be Thoroughly Cooked



Bulletin No. 18
November 2, 2000
Five Cases of Trichinosis - Why Bear Meat Must Be Thoroughly Cooked

Introduction
Trichinosis is caused by any species of Trichinella parasite. In arctic bear and walrus meat, the most common species is T. nativa. Nationally, only four cases of trichinosis were reported during the first 8 months of 2000 (1); the five cases reported here more than double that figure.

Outbreak A
On August 3, a 34-year-old Anchorage resident ate fried ground black bear meat that had been given to him by a co-worker. Less than a week later, he began to experience constitutional symptoms (Table 1). The bear, killed in Prince William Sound in June, had been processed at an Anchorage meat market. Approximately 35 additional persons ate meat from this bear at separate meals - none reported any illness. Trichinella larval cysts (599 / gram ground meat) were detected by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Laboratory. Accounting for fat added in processing, muscle from the bear would have contained about 750 larval cysts per gram.

Outbreak B
Four Wisconsin hunters traveled to a camp near Bethel, Alaska to hunt caribou. On August 13, they fried and ate meat from a black bear they killed that day. Two to 4 weeks later, all four began to experience constitutional symptoms (Table 1). Trichinella larval cysts (24 / gram muscle) were detected in bear meat by the DEC Laboratory.

Pathogenesis
Trichinosis infection has three phases - gastrointestinal, muscular, and convalescent. Once viable Trichinella cysts are ingested, they develop into adult worms in the epithelium of the small intestine within 5 days. Over the next 6 weeks, gravid females each produce 500-1500 larvae that travel through the peripheral circulation and encyst in striated muscle.

Within a week of consuming infected meat, patients can develop gastrointestinal symptoms including diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting. Then, as the larvae disseminate, they may experience fever, myalgia, rash, and periorbital edema. Encysted larvae remain viable for years; calcification can occur in 6-24 months and may be detected on radiographs. Illness severity is directly proportional to dose and can vary from inapparent infection to fulminating, fatal illness.

Diagnosis
Trichinosis should be suspected in any patient with compatible symptoms and eosinophilia. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for serum Trichinella IgG antibody is more sensitive than bentonite flocculation, especially in detecting early or mild infection. Trichinella larval cysts detected in muscle biopsies (preferably from gastrocnemius or deltoid muscles) are diagnostic, although negative biopsies do not rule out disease.

Treatment
Mebendazole (Vermox®) and albendazole (Zentel®) have demonstrated anthelminthic efficacy for gastrointestinal and muscular stages of Trichinella infection (2, 3). Corticosteroids are recommended for cases with central nervous system or myocardial involvement. While corticosteroids will reduce inflammation, their use delays intestinal clearance of adult worms. Rarely, persons who recently ingested contaminated meat have been treated presumptively with mebendazole (2).

Discussion
Two of the four hunters in Outbreak B had detectable Trichinella antibody. However, because larval cysts were detected in meat and all four hunters had compatible symptoms, all were considered to have trichinosis.

In both outbreaks, bear meat must not have been fully cooked. In Outbreak B, the hunters felt that strong winds prevented their camp stove from reaching a high temperature. In Outbreak A, the patient felt that rapid frying had not thoroughly cooked the meat.

Serologic surveys of Alaska bears have demonstrated Trichinella antibody levels ranging from 0 to 90% (4, 5). It is prudent to assume that all bears in Alaska are infected.

Recommendations
1. Healthcare providers should consider trichinosis in any patient with constitutional symptoms following gastrointestinal illness (often mild enough to be overlooked) and a history of recent bear or walrus consumption.
2. T. nativa in Alaska bear and walrus meat is cold-resistant. Unlike pork, freezing arctic meat will NOT kill larval cysts. Bear or walrus meat is safe once the entire piece is completely cooked to a gray color. USDA recommends attaining an internal temperature of at least 160° F. Microwaving may not render meat safe as cooking may be uneven.
3. Most trichinosis cases are part of multiperson outbreaks. Single unrelated cases are unusual as case investigations often identify additional patients and locate contaminated meat. As such, suspected cases of trichinosis should be reported promptly to Epidemiology.

References
1. CDC. Table I. Summary of provisional cases of selected notifiable diseases, United States, cumulative, week ending August 26, 2000 (34th Week). MMWR, 2000;49(34):783.
2. Chin J, ed. Control of Communicable Diseases Manual, 17th edition. 2000.
3. Watt G, Saisorn S, Jongsakul K, Sakolvaree Y, Chaicumpa W. Blinded, placebo-controlled trial of antiparasitic drugs for trichinosis. J Inf Dis. 2000; 182:371-74.
4. Zarnke RL, Gamble R, Heckeret RA, Ver Hoef J. Serologic survey for Trichinella spp. in grizzly bears from Alaska. J Wildlife Dis. 1997;33(3):474-79.
5. Chomel BB, Kasten RW, Chappuis G, Soulier M, Kikuchi Y. Serological survey of selected canine viral pathogens and zoonoses in grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) and black bears (Ursus americanus) from Alaska. Rev Sci Tech. 1998;17(3):756-66.


Table 1. Characteristics of five persons with trichinosis, September 2000.

Outbreak
Symptoms
Onset Date
ELISA

(date blood drawn)
% Eosinophils*

(date blood drawn)
Treatment

A
Nausea, diarrhea, fever, myalgia, periorbital edema, urticaria, fatigue
8/9
+ (9/20)
21% (9/13)
albendazole

B
Nausea, myalgia, retrobulbar headache, fatigue
8/25
- (9/19, 9/22)
5% (8/28)
albendazole

B
Fever, intense myalgia, chills, fatigue
9/2
+ (9/20)
43% (9/3)
mebendazole prednisone

B
Mild fever, myalgia, lethargy
9/9
- (9/20)
not done
mebendazole prednisone

B
Diarrhea, fever, myalgia, periorbital edema, fatigue
9/11
+ (9/18)
31% (9/18)
mebendazole prednisone



* normal range 0-3%, but varies depending on laboratory.
(Reported by Peter Wagner, MD, Saleh Obaid, MD, and Leslie Spitz, MD in WI; and Paul Steer, MD, Debbie Hurlburt, RNC, BSN and Dick Barrett in AK. Contributed by Louisa Castrodale, DVM, MPH, Section of Epidemiology.)

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[Gunslinger]

Might not be a bear. Might be a two legged critter stealing them birds.

I thought the same thing when she first told me about it. But what ever it is is eating them right there in the chicken run and leaving the empty carcasses for us to clean up.

[RowdyRay]

Gunny, pick up one of those cheap trail cams. At least you'll know what you're up against. Show it to the local game warden. Not sure what the laws are like there, but i'm sure something can be done.

[supervman]

I've had some EXCELLENT bear meat but most is greasy and chewy and nasty.

Not my cup of tea.

I suspect MOST of it is related to how the shot hits the target, field cleaning and storage/prep after that.

I wish you luck and happy eats. Perhaps you can get the meat tested?

Call the local DNR and ask them. They might just do it for you.

SKOL
V

[RowdyRay]

I've eaten quite a bit of bear. The biggest issue is the fat. That is where the gamey taste comes from. If it's cut up right and the fat removed well, you won't get so much of that.

The most common way I've eaten it was in a crock pot. But the best I've had was in the oven. A roasting pan about 1/3 rd filled with water, a big onion sliced and draped over it, and a can of Coca-Cola poured over it. Basted a few times too. Fall apart, stupidly good.

[Kamhillbilly]

I have smoked bear haunches before (hams) and treated it like Canadian Bacon brought it to 165 great best way I have had for bear . Spring bear is the best meat not that muck ugly fat . Ontario ( southern Ontario) tree huggers with money pushed politicians to cancel the spring bear hunt now Bear population is growing too fast .Hard on moose population as the highest mortality rate of the calves is bear http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDEW-nIg844. About 4 years after the cancellation I 've had bears destroy my apple trees , kill two pigs , destroy bbq , residents now just shoot shut up and shovel. Well some shovel!

[Kyote]

I have smoked bear haunches before (hams) and treated it like Canadian Bacon brought it to 165 great best way I have had for bear . Spring bear is the best meat not that muck ugly fat . Ontario ( southern Ontario) tree huggers with money pushed politicians to cancel the spring bear hunt now Bear population is growing too fast .Hard on moose population as the highest mortality rate of the calves is bear http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDEW-nIg844. About 4 years after the cancellation I 've had bears destroy my apple trees , kill two pigs , destroy bbq , residents now just shot shut up and shovel. Well some shovel!

seems to be a trend now adays.