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Family members infected with brain worms after eating undercooked bear meat
A number of family members who shared a meal of bear meat that one of the family members had harvested earlier were subsequently infected with brain worms, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In July 2022, the Minnesota Department of Health was flagged that a 29-year-old man had been hospitalized multiple times over a two-and-a-half-week period with symptoms including fever, severe muscle soreness, swelling around the eyes, and other various maladies.
Following his second hospitalization, the man told doctors that he had days earlier attended a family gathering in South Dakota, and that one of the meals they shared included kabobs made from black bear meat that “had been harvested by one of the family members in northern Saskatchewan.”
The meat had been in a freezer for a month and a half before being thawed out for the meal. The CDC reported that, because the meat was darker in color, it was initially and inadvertently served rare. Family members began eating the kabobs but noted that the meat tasted underdone, so it was recooked and served again.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Nine family members, largely from Minnesota but also hailing from South Dakota and Arizona, ate the meal, though some of them only ate the vegetables, which had been cooked and served alongside the bear meat.
Doctors ultimately diagnosed the 29-year-old man with trichinellosis, a roundworm which is rare in humans and usually acquired through the consumption of wild game. Five other family members were diagnosed with these freeze-resistant worms, including a 12-year-old girl and two other family members who had only eaten the vegetables at the meal. In all, three family members were hospitalized, and were treated with albendazole, which the Mayo Clinic says keeps the worms from absorbing sugar “so that the worm loses energy and dies.”
The CDC advised that the only sure way to kill trichinella parasites is to adequately cook the meat it resides in, to an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F, and reiterated their warning that it can cross-contaminate other foods.
The CDC said estimates of how prevalent trichinella parasites are among wild animals range widely, but it’s thought that up to one-quarter of black bears in Canada and Alaska may be infected.
Brain worms made national news earlier this year, after presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr. disclosed that a parasitic worm he contracted years ago “ate a portion” of his brain, causing potential cognitive issues.
Symptoms of brain worm infection can include nausea, vomiting, headaches and seizures, Dr. Céline Gounder told “CBS Mornings.” However, some people who contract the worms may also see no symptoms at all. Gounder added usually these parasites get “walled off by your immune system and they get calcified.”
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Kamala Harris will speak with “60 Minutes” tomorrow. Here’s what to know for the interview.
Voters will get the chance to hear from Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday as she presents her case for why she should be president in a “60 Minutes” election special.
For decades, “60 Minutes” has featured both Republican and Democratic nominees for presidents, but this year, former President Donald Trump backed out after previously indicating he would be on the show. Correspondent Scott Pelley, who’d been set to interview Trump, will instead travel to Arizona’s Maricopa County, home to more than 60% of Arizona’s voters and a critical battleground in a key swing state.
One thing is certain about the election; with the U.S. deeply involved in both the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, whoever wins on Nov. 5 will become a wartime president.
What Harris will discuss
Israel’s war started one year ago after Hamas launched a surprise terror attack and correspondent Bill Whitaker will discuss the ongoing war with Harris.
Harris will also discuss the economy, immigration, her record as vice president and the differences between herself and Trump.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz will also appear.
Whitaker joined the Democratic ticket on the campaign trail this week to gain insight into their platform’s priorities and values, and what the candidates believe voters should know.
Why Trump pulled out of the “60 Minutes” interview
Leading up to the candidate hour, Trump, through campaign spokespeople, was the first candidate to accept the “60 Minutes” request to be interviewed for the special, according to CBS News. It had been agreed that both candidates would receive equal time during the broadcast.
Trump last sat down with 60 Minutes in 2020. He walked out during the interview with Lesley Stahl. Trump referenced the incident on Tuesday night at a Milwaukee press conference when asked about his decision not to participate in the Oct. 7 “60 Minutes” election special.
“Well, right now, I went to – they came to me and would like me to do an interview, but first I want to get an apology, because the last time I did an interview with them, if you remember, they challenged me on the computer,” Trump said. “They said the ‘laptop from hell’ was from Russia, and I said it wasn’t from Russia. It was from Hunter, and I never got an apology, so I’m sort of waiting. I’d love to do ’60 Minutes.’ I do everything.”
The Republican nominee for president emphasized that he felt he was owed an apology from “60 Minutes.”
“Let’s see if they do it. I wouldn’t mind doing 60,” Trump continued. “I’ve done ’60 Minutes’ a lot.”
In a statement on Tuesday, Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung said that Trump’s team had not agreed to an interview.
“Fake News,” Cheung said in a post on X. “60 Minutes begged for an interview, even after they were caught lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop back in 2020. There were initial discussions, but nothing was ever scheduled or locked in. They also insisted on doing live fact checking, which is unprecedented.”
Previous Trump, Harris appearances on 60 Minutes
Trump previously sat down with “60 Minutes'” Mike Wallace in 1985, Pelley in 2015 and Lesley Stahl twice in 2016, first in July of that year and then again in November of 2016. He also spoke with Stahl again in 2018 and 2020.
Harris previously sat down with Whitaker last year. She also was interviewed by Norah O’Donnell, “CBS Evening News” anchor and “60 Minutes” contributing correspondent, in 2020.
How to watch the “60 Minutes” election special
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