Bear meat for dinner? Follow these steps to prevent parasitic infection, CDC says

Eating undercooked meat from wild game animals can cause a rare illness known as trichinellosis, health officials have warned. Six cases of the parasitic disease were reported by multiple family members from Arizona, Minnesota and South Dakota. The family members shared a meal that included undercooked meat from a black bear, as reported in the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention ’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

He was hospitalized after returning to Minnesota, complaining of fever, severe muscle aches and swelling around the eyes. Blood tests revealed high levels of eosinophils, a type of white blood cell that can indicate a worm infection. The man’s most recent meal had included kabobs made from the meat of a black bear, the report stated.

The CDC found live worms in the remaining bear meat. Approximately 1% to 24% of black bears in Canada and Alaska are infected with trichinellosis, per the report. What is trichinellosis? 'Trichinellosis is the disease caused by a parasitic worm called Trichinella,' Scott Roberts, M.D., associate medical director of infection prevention at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, told Fox News Digital.

Safe handling of raw meat, including separation of raw or undercooked meat and its juices from other foods, is also recommended to prevent cross-contamination,' she told Fox News Digital. The agency also advises against sampling meat until it has been confirmed to be fully cooked — and recommends freezing pork less than six inches thick for 20 days at 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Some wild game animals are freeze-resistant, which means freezing may not effectively kill all worms.

Salting, drying, smoking or microwaving meat also does not effectively kill worms, per the CDC. People should always remember to wash their hands with soap and warm water before and after handling raw meat — and to clean meat grinders and all other kitchen items thoroughly after each use, the agency advised. For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle.

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