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SafeWatch Safety Shorts

Beware When Field-dressing Wild Game

 

BACKGROUND : A 27-year-old forester field-dressed and quartered several whitetail deer and feral hogs after a successful hunt at his deer camp one winter day in the South.

 

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: Adept with a skinning knife, this young hunter was considered very skilled among his friends in cleaning and dressing game.

 

UNSAFE ACT OR CONDITION: In spite of his experience, he was unaware that a wild hog he was cleaning was infected with a bacteria that causes Brucellosis, and that he could contract this and other diseases simply by touching the contaminated meat. Since he was not wearing latex gloves, a nick or briar scratch on his hands or arms would provide enough of a cut for infection to result. Brucellosis, commonly known as “Undulant Fever” in humans, can be transmitted to man by handling infected animals or by drinking contaminated, unpasteurized milk. In the 1930’s the disease reached epidemic proportions among cattle in the United States. USDA workers traveled from farm to farm across the country slaughtering infected livestock. As a result, Brucellosis is now rare among farm animals, although livestock veterinarians continue to wear gloves and take precautions. The incubation period for Brucellosis varies but averages two weeks in man. Early signs are chills, fever, headache, malaise, neck and back pain, diarrhea and muscle aches. The symptoms, particularly fever, will fluctuate for weeks. The victim will seem to get well only to have the symptoms recur, in many cases, frequently. Brucellosis is rarely fatal in humans, but serious complications can lead to meningitis, encephalitis, liver disease and spinal cord damage.

 

ACCIDENT/INJURY: At first, the afflicted forester complained of back pain and his physician, believing that he had pulled a muscle, prescribed painkillers. When this medication was ineffective, the hunter was admitted to the hospital for tests. Because bovine Brucellosis has been nearly eradicated in the U. S. and its symptoms often-mimic common disease, the real cause of his ailment was not initially detected. The numbness and tingling in his legs and back became more and more pronounced. After several days of tests, the patient was walking across his hospital room when he collapsed to the floor. A MRI revealed a mass the size of a grapefruit growing from his spinal column and pressing into his lungs. After hours of surgery, doctors were able to remove the mass. Cultures taken from it finally identified the cause of his disease. Fortunately, the forester recovered fully and was able to return to work.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CORRECTION: Always wear latex gloves while cleaning and dressing wild game. When finished, scrub your hands and arms carefully with antibacterial soap to kill any lingering bacteria. Thoroughly cook all meat from wild game and domestic livestock before eating.