Parasite in elk meat?

[Geewhiz]

I was processing an elk a couple of days ago and have never seen this before. They were throughout the entirety of the elk. They didn’t wiggle. Any ideas?

 

[Poser]

I believe that is a parasitic cyst. Founds some info here:

Caribou Parasite Identified

By Tasiujaq Mayor Billy Cain, Géraldine-G Gouin, Wildlife Disease Specialist, Nunavik Research Centre, and Adrián Hernández Ortiz, Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Saskatchewan In the […]

www.makivvik.ca

The NRC team examined the sample and found that the cysts resembled a parasitic genus called Sarcocystis spp. This is a type of protozoan (a very small parasite), which has a characteristic “grain of rice” appearance. Sarcocystis spp. is a common parasite that is found in many species, notably mammals and birds. The vast majority of them are harmless to humans.

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The life cycle of Sarcocystis spp. is simple and includes two animal hosts: one definitive host like a wolf or a lynx and one intermediate host like a caribou. The intermediate host gets infected when it eats eggs found in the feces of the definitive host. Then, the parasites migrate to the muscles of the intermediate host, where it encysts. Until the animal is eaten by the definitive host, the parasite will stay in the intermediate host muscles. For example, if an infected wolf poops in the tundra, some tiny parasitic eggs will be left on the surface of lichen, rocks, willows, etc. Those eggs can then be eaten by a caribou, who then becomes infected with Sarcocystis spp

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Risks to human health caused by eating caribou infected with Sarcocystis rangiferi seem unlikely. There are currently a very low number of Sarcocystis spp. in the world that can infect humans when they eat raw meat, and so far, Sarcocystis rangiferi is not one of them.

 

[Geewhiz]

Sure doesn’t make me want to eat it very bad

 

[LongWayAround]

Muscle Tapeworm Cysts in Alaska's Species, Alaska Department of Fish and Game

Information about Muscle Tapeworm Cysts in Alaska such as animals affected, causes, signs and protective measures.

www.adfg.alaska.gov

 

[LongWayAround]

Sarcocystis is what I was thinking of, but my link above is for tapeworm cysts.

Sarcocystis is called "rice breast" in ducks. That's what your meat looks like to me.

 

[Geewhiz]

Sarcocystis is what I was thinking of, but my link above is for tapeworm cysts.

Sarcocystis is called "rice breast" in ducks. That's what your meat looks like to me.

Do people eat ducks that have it?

 

[Tod osier]

View attachment 789235

I was processing an elk a couple of days ago and have never seen this before. They were throughout the entirety of the elk. They didn’t wiggle. Any ideas?

I haven't seen much talk on parasites in elk, knowing that they obviously have them. Give your local biologists a call.

Is it in all the muscle or just certain parts?

 

[LongWayAround]

Do people eat ducks that have it?

I don't.

They say it's safe though. There's a link to it in that same Alaska site page.

 

[Tod osier]

Do people eat ducks that have it?

All the parasites are safe if fully cooked. It is not uncommon to not eat a heavily infected rice breast duck. I'm sure if you cook it, you would have no idea.

 

[Geewhiz]

Give your local biologists a call.

Is it in all the muscle or just certain parts?

I just got out of the woods this morning so I plan on giving her a ring shortly.

Every cut throughout the entire animal. Every muscle group had them and if I cut across the grain of the muscle you could see hundreds of little white ends

 

[Tod osier]

Do people eat ducks that have it?

If it helps, the Sarcocystis parasites that cause rice breast and COULD be what you are seeing are protists (single celled organisms), not worms like trichinosis. That info matters to me, but it is only in my head, I know.

 

[Tod osier]

I just got out of the woods this morning so I plan on giving her a ring shortly.

Every cut throughout the entire animal. Every muscle group had them and if I cut across the grain of the muscle you could see hundreds of little white ends

Wow, that is a load of them.

If the Bio doesn't know right now, I'm sure there is someone who she can text that photo to that will know.

Report back!

 

[Geewhiz]

Wow, that is a load of them.

If the Bio doesn't know right now, I'm sure there is someone who she can text that photo to that will know.

Report back!

Yeah he was chock full, dealt with a lot of elk before and have never seen this.

Regardless of weather it is “safe” to eat or not, i think it might give me the willies to eat it with that much of it in there. Especially with 3 little kids that will be gobbling it down.


I will see what the biologist has to say and let you guys know.

 

[mt terry d]

God didn't invent fire just to keep us warm.

Kill, cook, eat, repeat.

 

[sndmn11]

Yeah he was chock full, dealt with a lot of elk before and have never seen this.

Regardless of weather it is “safe” to eat or not, i think it might give me the willies to eat it with that much of it in there. Especially with 3 little kids that will be gobbling it down.


I will see what the biologist has to say and let you guys know.

Ask for the same tag for next year or for an extra point and to give them the meat. "For their scientific benefit".

 

[nubraskan]

No kidding, not sure how I'd feel about it even knowing that they're for sure harmless

With that being said, bear meat is almost always contaminated with trichinella and I eat it...

 

[Geewhiz]

Ask for the same tag for next year or for an extra point and to give them the meat. "For their scientific benefit".

I don’t want that tag again

 

[Sako76]

I killed a black duck about 5 years ago that weighted “a ton”. When we breasted it out it had “raccoon rice” in the breast and they were wiggling! It got tossed! I can’t imagine eating it. Let us know what the biologist says.

 

[LongWayAround]

"rice breast" typically looks like orzo pasta. Upon zooming in, I see yours has a zig-zag to the cysts. I have never seen that before.

No way I'm eating that.

 

[Dtharvester]

The only meat I start thinking on parasites is predator meat cooked to rare (-) and fresh sushi (usually flash frozen).
I guarantee that we’ve all ingested parasites in some stage (ie. egg, larva…) cooked that we didn’t see, even in non-meat products.

The bio will be able to ID it and tell you it’s safe, but if it’s already bad in your head that won’t change much eh? Between freezing, cooking, and a lack of any flavor contributions - if it tastes like cooked elk, you win.