All excited for deer hunting season? Try not to get TB.
A 77-year-old Michigan hunter apparently contracted tuberculosis from an infected wild deer that he killed and field-dressed, providing further evidence that deer with TB can transmit the disease to humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The case is from 2017 but for some strange reason the CDC just now decided to tell us about it. Nevertheless, the CDC recommends that hunters “use personal protective equipment while field-dressing deer.” Penn State’s Field Dressing Deer Pocket Guide warns: “To reduce your risk of exposure to disease, wear disposable plastic gloves while handling animals. Wash hands and arms thoroughly with soap and water before and after dressing. Using clean water, pre-moistened wipes or alcohol wipes, clean your knife frequently between cuts to prevent bacterial contamination.”
The American Veterinary Medical Association further recommends, “hunters should look for tan or yellow pea-sized lumps in the wall of the rib cage or in the lungs. If these lumps are present, the hunter should immediately stop handling the carcass, attach a game tag, and contact the local fish and wildlife agency.”