Deer Hunters Should Beware of E Coli Risk

Posted by Fred Pritzker in Food Safety

Mid- to late-November is  deer-hunting season in many parts of the country. More than 11 million people hunt deer, elk and other big game in the U.S. with relatively few incidences of foodborne illness associated with the activity.

But hunters should still be aware of the risk that the deer they shoot, field dress and butcher can be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, a potentially deadly microbial pathogen.

In Connecticut in 2002, health investigators confirmed that a 7-year-old boy’s severe E. coli O157:H7 infection came from the white-tailed deer that his father shot, gutted and quartered on a hunting trip to Vermont. The deer was shot in the gut and not immediately killed. It was found dead two hours later and field-dressed where it laid. Almost all internal organs were blown up in the kill and the carcass wasn’t  rinsed until it was skinned and cut up two days later at home in Connecticut.

On the same day as the butchering, the boy’s father pulled the boneless tenderloins from the deer, rinsed them and set them on a plate in the refrigerator. He grilled them that night, but undercooked them, and the boy ate a large quantity. The father ate a small amount and reported having an upset stomach.

Based on the Connecticut public health investigation that followed, here are conclusions and safety tips:

The manner in which the animal was killed and handled contributed to the contamination of the deer meat. The abdominal gunshot wound increased the likelihood that intestinal contents initially contaminated the deer carcass.

In addition, the extended time it took the deer to die, fecal contamination of the abdominal cavity, the warm day and mild evening temperatures, and the 2-day interval between deer kill and processing likely supported the dissemination and growth of  E. coli O157:H7 throughout the carcass. Lastly, a large quantity of undercooked venison tenderloin was eaten.

Proper handling of deer carcasses begins in the field with a clean shot to the neck or torso (lungs, heart, liver) and quick removal of the intestines/entrails from the abdominal cavity. If any of the internal organs smell offensive or exhibit discharge or blood in the muscle, the flesh is unfit for consumption. The abdominal cavity should be cleaned, dried, and cooled to less than 40 degrees Fahrenheit until the meat is processed.

The connecticut researchers speculated that the deer acquired E. coli O157:H7 from cows grazing on dairy farms in Vermont. Field studies in Georgia found that 4 percent of 77 hunter-killed whitetails carried E. coli O157:H7.

Tags: food poisoning, venison e coli