Undercooked Bear Meat at NC Barbecue Sickens 10 with Parasitic Infection

A CDC report reveals that a trichinellosis outbreak occurred after attendees consumed improperly cooked bear meat at a North Carolina gathering.

Ten individuals, including a 10-year-old child, developed trichinellosis after eating undercooked bear meat at a November 2023 barbecue.
The CDC report identifies the parasitic infection as trichinellosis, which is caused by consuming meat infected with Trichinella larvae.
Symptoms among the affected included facial swelling, muscle pain, and fever, with nine out of ten patients experiencing facial swelling.
The infected bear meat was consumed by 22 of the 35 attendees, with the outbreak traced back to this gathering by local health officials.
Cooking meat to an internal temperature of at least 165°F is essential to kill the parasites and prevent such infections, according to health guidelines.