Undercooked bear meat at North Carolina barbecue leaves 10 sickened, says CDC report

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Ten people, including a 10-year-old child, fell ill last year after eating undercooked bear meat at a North Carolina barbecue, a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed.

In November 2023, 10 unidentified people experienced flu-like symptoms and facial swelling after an investigation by the North Carolina Division of Public Health linked the patients to an earlier gathering in which undercooked bear meat was served.

It was determined the illnesses were the result of a trichinellosis outbreak.

BEAR MEAT FOR DINNER? FOLLOW THESE STEPS TO PREVENT PARASITIC INFECTION, CDC SAYS

Trichinellosis is a "rare parasitic disease" – with only about 15 confirmed cases each year – often associated with the consumption of wild game meat, according to the CDC.

"These parasites infect animals such as bears, cougars, walruses, foxes, wild boars and domestic pigs," the Mayo Clinic said on its website. 

Ten people got sick after eating bear meat (not pictured) at a barbecue in North Carolina. Bears are carriers of a parasite that causes trichinellosis. (iStock)

"You get the infection by eating the immature form of the roundworm (larvae) in raw or undercooked meat."

Of the 35 attendees at the gathering, 22 reported eating undercooked bear meat — while 10 of them, the youngest of whom was 10 years old, showed symptoms of being sickened by trichinellosis, the CDC noted in its report.

Among the 10 patients, nine had facial swelling, six had muscle pain and four had documented fever, the CDC said.

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"When humans eat raw or undercooked meat containing trichinella larvae, the larvae grow into adult worms in the small intestine," the Mayo Clinic detailed. 

"This takes several weeks. The adult worms produce larvae that travel through the bloodstream to different parts of the body. They then bury themselves in muscle tissue."

The parasitic larvae found in bear meat can grow into adult worms in a person's small intestine. (iStock; Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, CDC)

Although the report didn't specify what type of bear meat was served, black bears are common hosts for trichinella larvae, the CDC said.

Cooking game meat to a safe internal temperature – 165° Fahrenheit – will kill the parasites and prevent infection, the CDC said.

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Earlier this year, six people became sick from eating undercooked bear meat that was served at a family reunion in South Dakota, Fox News Digital previously reported.

Black bears are common hosts for trichinella larvae, the CDC said. (iStock)

A 2022 trichinellosis outbreak associated with undercooked bear meat harvested from Canada resulted in six cases, according to the CDC, including two people who only ate vegetables and were infected by cross-contamination.

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Fox News Digital contacted the North Carolina Division of Public Health and CDC for additional comment.