Additional Diseases

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

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

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

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

Have a health care professional remove the ticks immediately
If you have to remove the whole tick with tweezers, try not to squeeze it!
Inspect clothes and skin for ticks

• 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

  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

Beware: Chemical disinfection & filters may not kill all bacteria, viruses or parasites

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

Details on safe clean-up are available at the BC Centre for Disease Control under ‘Health Topics’

Bird Flu (Avian Influenza)

• Some forms of bird flu can be transmitted to people
• Contact BCCDC for any updates to the situation in British Columbia
• 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

• Long, white & slender roundworms found under the skin of black bears
• Black flies spread these worms to new hosts
• These worms rarely cause illness in people
• Filarial worms may be seen during the butchering of bears

Bear meat is still edible, but cook it first

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