Family infected with brain worms after eating undercooked bear meat, CDC says

Six people became infected with a parasite known as “ brain worms” after eating undercooked black bear meat, or food cross-contaminated with the meat, at a family reunion in 2022 – the Center for Disease Control (CDC) said in a new report. In May 2022 a group of nine family members met in South Dakota and shared kebabs made from the meat of a black bear and vegetables. Earlier that month, one of the family members harvested the meat in northern Saskatchewan, Canada.

At the advice of a hunting outfitter, the family member froze the meat in a household freezer for 45 days to kill parasites. The family then thawed the meat and grilled it with the vegetables, according to the CDC. However, the meat was accidentally served undercooked.

Months later, family members presented to doctors or hospitals with symptoms consistent with the parasitic infection trichinellosis otherwise known as brain worms. After health officials reported the infection the CDC investigated it. Now, the health agency is reminding people to cook their meat to an internal temperature of ≥165°F (≥74°C).

Some states, like Minnesota , require healthcare providers to report cases of trichinellosis to the state Department of Health. Healthcare providers did exactly that in July 2022 when a 29-year-old man presented to a hospital with symptoms consistent with trichinellosis: a fever, severe aches, swollen eyes and a high count of white blood cells among other abnormal labs. It was the second time the man .