Eating a barbecue skewer - diagnosed with horror

Briefly

Health authorities in the United States are warning after six family members became seriously ill.
Three of them were diagnosed with trichinosis, a rare roundworm infection.
The CDC recommends that the core temperature of meat be at least 74 degrees Celsius to avoid infection.

Health authorities in the state of Minnesota, USA, reported that a 29-year-old man had been hospitalized several times over a period of two and a half weeks.

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Symptoms included fever, severe muscle pain and swelling around the eyes.

During his second stay in the hospital, the man told doctors that a few days earlier he had attended a barbecue with his extended family in South Dakota.

The family had no idea their barbecue skewers were threatening their lives, according to the Public Health Institute's US Response Report and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In a recent report.t

The mistake that burns the barbecue: Eating fried and burnt barbecue food can be very harmful to your health, and it's important to avoid one common barbecue mistake in particular. Video: Matthias Herseth-Spiller, Flying Cooking Circus / FCCBBQ.
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It was served raw

The meat on the spit was black bear meat that, according to the 29-year-old man, was “obtained from a family member in northern Saskatchewan.”

The meat had been in the refrigerator for a month and a half before being thawed before grilling.

Because of its dark color, the meat was first served raw, the CDC reported.

Dark meat: A man grills bear meat. Image: Shutterstock
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The family members started eating the skewers, but noticed that the meat tasted raw. So the meat was fried further and served again.

It all ended with six family members falling seriously ill. Three of them – including a twelve-year-old girl – were diagnosed with trichinosis.

Wander to the brain

Trichinosis is a rare roundworm infection in humans, usually caused by the consumption of bush meat.

The larvae are often called brain worms because they can travel through the body to muscle tissue and organs, including the brain.

Three family members had to be hospitalized and treated AlbendazoleIt is a medicine that prevents worms from absorbing sugar, causing them to lose energy and die.

Under Glass: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention images of the Trichinella nativa parasite found in black bears. Image: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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He warns others

The CDC reports that the only safe way to kill Trichinella parasites is to cook meat to a core temperature of at least 74 degrees Celsius.

On the grill: Bear meat must be at least 74 degrees Celsius before it can be eaten. Image: NTP
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They warn that the parasite can spread to other foods.

Furthermore, they report that the prevalence of Trichinella parasites in wild animals varies, but it is thought that up to a quarter of black bears in Canada and Alaska may be infected.