Tularemia Warning

FYI
I got this in an e-mail today

Texas Hog Hunters Warned of Tularemia
This was in Texas Fish & Game this month:

Texas Hog Hunters Warned of Tularemia
Texas hog hunters are warned to take precautions against possible infection with tularemia, a potentially lethal disease usually associated with rabbits and rodents (with photo).

Processing or handling the raw meat from feral swine can potentially expose a person to the organism that causes tularemia (Francisella tularensis) based on research conducted by a Texas Tech team of scientists from The Institute of Environmental and Human Health.

Tularemia is a zoonotic disease, meaning it is shared by humans and animals.

Dr. Steven Presley's group sampled over 100 feral swine from three Texas counties: Coryell, Bell, and Crosby. Blood samples from swine in the two Central Texas counties averaged 20 percent positive for tularemia while 31 percent of the Crosby County hogs exhibited positive test results. These results indicate a significant exposure of the feral swine to this disease organism.

Of greater concern is the additional finding that when four of the Crosby County animals were tested for the active presence of the organism, three were positive. Funding limitations have precluded the testing for the organism in the Central Texas hogs, so they have only been determined to have been exposed to the tularemia bacteria at this point, but active infection would not be unexpected.

Several forms of tularemia may occur in humans, each dependent on the route of exposure. Skin ulcers and/or swollen lymph nodes can result if the infected fluid from the animal enters the body through skin cuts or abrasions.

An oral cavity or throat infection can develop if undercooked meat from an infected animal is eaten. Inhalation of infected droplets of fluid while processing an infected animal can result in pneumonia, while an eye infection may develop if the droplets enter the mucous membranes of the eye.

Even deer flies and ticks are capable of transmitting the bacteria through their bites, usually resulting in skin ulceration or swollen lymph nodes.

Due to the different potential routes of exposure, it is important for hunters to practice good personal safety while hunting or processing feral swine or handling fresh meat. The use of insect repellent is always recommended anytime someone is going to be entering environments containing ticks or other disease vectors.

The use of eye protection and gloves (latex or nitrile) are strongly recommended for people who will butcher feral hogs, and disposable masks can reduce the risk of inhaling infectious fluid droplets.

In addition to tularemia, feral swine may also be infected with the bacteria that cause another zoonotic disease, brucellosis. The same protective measures for tularemia will help prevent infection by the brucellosis bacteria. Since eating undercooked meat from feral hogs can also transmit these two diseases, thorough cooking is advised.

While feral hogs from only three counties have been sampled, the magnitude of the positive portion of that population suggests that feral swine from other counties can be expected to also be potential sources of F. tularensis.

It is estimated that 1.5 to 2 million feral swine occur in 215 of 254 Texas counties, while 32 of the 50 United States have reported their presence. The overall national population estimate is approximately 4 million.

Since feral swine are commonly hunted and harvested for human consumption, particularly during the fall and winter deer hunting season, hunters should be aware of the potential to become exposed to and infected with F. tularensis while handling feral swine carcasses and tissues--particularly bodily fluids.