Additional Diseases

Diseases You Can Get From Wildlife - A Field-guide for Hunters, Trappers, Anglers and Biologists - 2011 edition PDF 3.79MB

Food-Borne Diseases

Fecal contamination

• Bacteria, viruses and parasites live and grow in the intestines of animals
• They can contaminate hands, meat & utensils and can cause illness if eaten
• This is sometimes called FOOD POISONING

Examples

• Salmonella
• E-coli
• Toxoplasmosis

How can I get sick?

• Eating raw or undercooked meat
• Improper food PREPARATION & COOKING
• Contaminating cooked food with:
  • Raw or undercooked meat
  • Dirty hands & utensils
  • Dirty food preparation surfaces

• Beware: Some food-borne diseases can be transmitted from person to person

How can I protect myself?

• Cook meat to recommended temperatures
• Beware: Freezing may not kill all harmful bacteria, viruses or parasites
• Wash your hands with soap and water
  • After using the bathroom
  • After handling carcasses, live animals or their feces
  • Before eating or handling food
• Properly store meat
  • Refrigerate
  • Freeze when storage for more than 2 days is required
  • Thaw meat in the fridge and not on the counter
• Cook in a clean area
  • Scrub surfaces, utensils and cooking equipment with soap and water before and after food preparation

Not feeling well?

• Recognize common symptoms of foodborne disease:

  Diarrhea Nausea Vomiting

  Fever Weakness Stomach pain

• Contact your doctor if you become ill after eating raw or undercooked meat
• Tell your doctor what you hunted & ate

Insect-Borne Diseases

Ticks/Insects that can carry disease

Tick	Flea	Mosquito

Examples

How can I get sick?

You get bitten by an infected tick, flea or mosquito

How bad can it get?

Symptoms can range from mild illness to hospitalization to death

How can I protect myself?

• Prevent TICK bites
  • Walk on cleared trails
  • Wear a hat, long sleeves & pants, and light coloured clothing
  • Tuck pant legs into socks or boots
  • Use insect repellents (with DEET) on clothing and exposed skin

Inspect clothes, skin and pets for ticks. Remove whole tick by grasping as close to the tick's head as possible and slowly pull tick straight out. Try not to squeeze the tick as you remove it. Keep the tick, show it to your doctor.

• Prevent MOSQUITO bites
  • Wear light coloured, long-sleeved clothing
  • Use insect repellents (with DEET)

Beware: Mosquitoes are most active at dusk and dawn - take precautions!

• Initial symptoms may be mild & include:

  Fever Nausea Vomiting Headache Muscle pains Fatigue

  Chills Sweats Sore throat Cough Rash

• More serious conditions can develop, and include the sudden onset of:
  • Chest pain
  • Muscle pain
  • Stomach pain
  • Loss of appetite and / or weight

• Consult your doctor if you have any of these symptoms up to 2 months after exposure to ticks, fleas or mosquitoes.

Water-Borne Diseases

Background

• Water (especially from streams, rivers, ponds and lakes) can contain harmful bacteria, viruses and parasites
• You may become ill after drinking water from these sources

Examples

• Beaver Fever (Giardiasis)
• Cryptosporidiosis

How can I get sick?

• Drinking water contaminated with animal or human feces

How can I protect myself?

• Bring safe or bottled water
• Boil all stream, river and lake water at a rolling boil for at least three minutes before using it for:
  • Drinking         
  • Preparing food           
  • Brushing your teeth   

• Avoid swallowing the water when swimming in streams, rivers and lakes
• Protect water sources:
  • Bury your wastes far away from any water

Not feeling well?

• Recognize common symptoms of waterborne disease:

  Diarrhea Nausea Fatigue Chills

  Stomach Cramps Bloating Weight Loss Fever

• If you develop symptoms:
  • Drink plenty of safe water
  • Use oral rehydration salts
  • Contact your doctor as soon as possible
  • Tell your doctor that you may have swallowed contaminated water

Beware: Some water-borne diseases can be transmitted from person to person

Additional Diseases

Abscesses

• Pus & bacteria-filled lumps found within animal tissues, usually during butchering
  • Most animals appear to be healthy
• If there is only one abscess, trim away and discard the affected meat
• If multiple abscesses are found, it is safer not to eat the animal

NEVER cut into abscesses or eat meat containing abscesses

Hantavirus

• A rare & potentially fatal virus in wild mice
• You may contract it by breathing virus carried on dust particles from mouse feces, dried urine or nesting materials
  • Rodent-proof your home / cabin
  • Avoid contact with rodents & their feces
  • Wear a protective mask when you work in enclosed spaces where rodents live

For additional details on safe clean-up see 'Diseases & Conditions'

Bird Flu (Avian Influenza)

• Some forms of bird flu can be transmitted to people
• Contact local health services in your province for public health updates
• Wild birds can carry bird fl u but rarely get sick
• Practise proper hygiene when butchering birds - wear gloves & wash hands

Avoid handling sick or already dead wild birds

Filarial Worms (Dirofilaria)

• Long, white & slender roundworms found under the skin of black bears
• Black flies spread these worms to new hosts
• Although rare, people bitten by an infected black fly can become ill
• Worms in bears DO NOT infect people

Filarial worms may be seen during the butchering of bears. Always cook bear meat

Raccoon Roundworm (Baylisascaris)

• Found in raccoon intestines
• People can be exposed by ingesting roundworm eggs - take precautions
• Practise proper hygiene and wear protective clothing (gloves and coveralls) when skinning raccoons
• Disinfect your work space
• Health effects in people may include:

  Skin irritation Eye damage

  Brain damage Death is rare

Avoid contact with raccoons & their feces