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Hunters may contract bovine TB from field-dressing deer, CDC warns

Courtesy Photo A whitetail deer is seen in this undated photo from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

ALPENA — A new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it may be possible for hunters to contract bovine tuberculosis from gutting a deer.

The report cites a case study of a 77-year-old man from Northeast Michigan who they believe contracted mycobacterium bovis, or bovine TB, from inhaling the bacteria while gutting a deer. The report states the patient had regularly hunted and field-dressed deer in the region over the past 20 years.

Bovine TB is a zoonotic disease, which means it can transfer from animals to humans.

The disease is most commonly found in cattle and other animals such as bison elk and deer and can affect the lungs, lymph nodes, and other parts of the body. The CDC states that, in Michigan, deer serve as “maintenance and reservoir hosts” bovine TB.

The CDC is urging hunters to take precautions while gutting or taking their deer heads to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for testing.

“To prevent exposure to M. bovis and other diseases, hunters are encouraged to use personal protective equipment while field-dressing deer,” the report states. “In addition, hunters in Michigan who submit deer heads that test positive for M. bovis might be at higher risk for infection and targeted screening for tuberculosis could be performed.”

Statewide surveillance of bovine TB has been ongoing since 1995. In 2017, 1.4% of deer in Alpena, Alcona, Montmorency, and Oscoda counties tested positive for the disease, compared to 0.05% of deer tested elsewhere in Michigan.

Two other hunting-related cases of tuberculosis have previously been documented by the CDC.

Crystal Nelson can be reached at 989-358-5687 or cnelson@thealpenanews.com.

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