MINNEAPOLIS — A newly published report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is detailing a rare illness that infected eight people — including four from Minnesota — who came down with trichinellosis, a parasitic disease transmitted through the consumption of raw meat.
The report said the group shared a meal containing bear meat grilled and served rare with vegetables in the summer of 2022. About a week later, a 29-year-old man was hospitalized with a fever, aches and pains, swelling and other abnormalities. The CDC said the man had sought treatment four times and had been hospitalized twice over a 17-day period before health care providers learned about his bear consumption.
According to the report, the bear meat, harvested from Canada, had been frozen for 45 days before it was served. A subsequent investigation found freeze-resistant trichinella larvae in the remaining meat, and further, found that two people who would later become infected consumed only vegetables.
"Persons who consume meat from wild game animals should be aware that adequate cooking is the only reliable way to kill Trichinella parasites and that infected meat can cross-contaminate other foods," the report said.
The eight extended family members reported the meat was inadvertently served rare, telling investigators its dark color made it difficult to visually determine its level of doneness. Although the meat was returned to the grill after it was noticed it was undercooked, one family member from Arizona, four from Minnesota and one from South Dakota ultimately suffered from an infection.
According to the report, their ages ranged from 12 to 62 and all of them eventually recovered.
The CDC said this particular parasitic infection is rarely reported in the United States, but is most prevalent in harvested wild game.
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities and across Minnesota in our YouTube playlist: