If Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) and Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) were not enough, now we deer hunters need to know about another disease.
Hunters can contract a form of tuberculosis from deer.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that a 77-year-old Michigan man was diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis. He had no known contact with any human infected with TB, but he had hunted and field-dressed deer for decades. Many deer test positive for bovine TB in the northeastern Lower Peninsula of Michigan where the man lived and hunted.
The CDC says the man may have inhaled the bacteria that causes tuberculosis while he was gutting a deer. Officials don’t know when that might have happened, but the infection might have reactivated in 2017.
Turns out this is not the first time TB has showed up in Michigan hunters. In 2004, a hunter cut his finger while field-dressing a deer and apparently contracted TB. In 2002, the CDC believes another hunter breathed in the bacteria while dressing a deer.
It is unclear how widespread TB in deer is in Michigan, and others states for that matter, but we need to be aware of the potential threat. I am going to research this topic more and will provide further updates.
To prevent exposure to TB, CDC officials recommend hunters wear protective field-dressing gloves, which is a good idea no matter where you hunt. If you kill a deer in or near an area where TB has been confirmed in deer (or cattle) you should also wear a mask over your nose and mouth.
If you kill a doe or buck in an area where TB has been reported in deer, you should submit the head for TB testing. If the results come back positive, the hunter should be screened for TB.
I read about this too the other week, not good ! TB has been in upper lower Michigan for years and always something to keep an eye out for. I’ve wore gut gloves ever since ive started hunting and will always make sure to. We are also in the core area for CWD and have been getting our deer sent in and checked for TB & CWD the last couple years. Honestly for me its starting to get to a point where I’m concerned about gutting and eating any deer in our area. Not sure what to make of it all. For now we will just make sure to keep a good eye on our game while hunting & gutting them and keep getting them all tested before we consume anything
My sister-in-law just sent me that article last week through Facebook. Crazy. Makes me think I should start wearing gloves when handling any deer. Although, what you need to look for with this TB scare is/are white/creme- colored lesions inside and attached to the inner rib cage. I found this article that explains some more important info. about this disease. Apparently it’s been found in Minnesota and Indiana’s herd(s) at different times as well.
https://www.purdue.edu/fnr/extension/bovine-tb/