Rabbit with tapeworms-- eat or no?

[Luke]

I went hunting today with my dad. I got 2 rabbits in a few hours, but one rabbit had 2 tapeworms that I could notice. One was in its intestine and was about 4 inches long...YUCK.  The other one was about an inch. I said no way and nailed the rabbit to a tree in my back yard for some varmits.

Should I eat the rabbit next time? I was afraid to after seeing these pretty large tapeworms.


Heres a picture of some rabbits me and my brother shot on Jan 4. Man they were some good eatin!:biggthumpup:

[gitano]

If you are certain they were tapeworms, they can't infest you. Tape worms are aomng the most host-specific of parasites. What that means is that that particular species can only infest wascally wabbits, not humans. Aslo, tape worms are not as bada parasite as Hollywood and many would have you believe. Of course I'm not sugesting they're "OK", but most tape worms will complete their life cycle in a year or two (depends on the species) without the host even knowing they were present. At the end of their cycle, they die and pass out of the host.
 
Also, you have to make sure you're dealing with a tape worm. Other internal parasites are much worse, and some are permanent. No matter what you do those cannot be eradicated from your body.
 
Next, all living things can be killed with heat. Most parasites are killed by 140 degrees Fahrenheit, and ALL are killed at 160. Theoretically you can eat them once their killed.... but really now, I ask you... Who's gonna do that? Yuck!
 
I agree that finding internal parasites is pretty disgusting and will put me "off my feed" at least for that critter.
 
Paul

[bowhunter 51]

I imagine there are parasites in the guts of all animals...Most are
microscopic...Clean your game well...Cook your game thoroughly,
and at an acceptable temperature as Paul pointed out...Shouldn't be
a problem...Difficult to shake the trauma of such a discovery, I know.
But rabbit is fine eat'n and shouldn't be nailed to a tree for varmint
food, just don't eat the guts:undecided: ewe...............................................................BH51.....

[Luke]

This is exactly what I seen but not that big.....imagine having that thing in you!!


Most Human Tapeworm infestations appear asymptomatic and often go unnoticed. If left unchecked, these Human Tapeworms can get into muscle tissue and organs and form cysts causing diseases like Cysticercosis, Neurocysticercosis, and Alveolar Hydatid Disease (AHD).

Adult tapeworms appear to cause very few clinical problems in dogs. However, this is the real point of concern since infected people are not as lucky. Alveolar hydatid disease in humans, caused by Echinococcus multilocularis, is a very serious infection that usually involves the liver. Early in the course of the infection, patients may be misdiagnosed with other liver ailments. Involvement of other tissues, including the lungs and brain can also occur. Since over 50% of people with alveolar hydatid disease die, this is considered the most lethal worm infection that people get. It is therefore important for all dogs and cats in high-risk areas be screened for tapeworm infection

So from what I understand if I were to gut this rabbit and and eggs got on my hand and I touched my mouth, eye....... i could be infected and possibly get a disease or possibly even die.


Buts heres a picture of the other rabbit I kept today. Im goin back out  tommarow so we have enough for some  hossenfefer

[RatherBHuntin]

Yea, it would have been hard to overcome the memory of that worm while eating dinner.  Don't think I would have eaten it either.

[gitano]

It 's great that you looked up those references Luke, but you need to check them carefully because they are mixing apples and oranges.
 
Here's a pretty good explanation. http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370_12150_12220-117400--,00.html[/COLOR][/U]

Care should always be taken when eating any wild game. But unless you intend to give it up all together you're going to have to deal with parasites. The absolute best method of "dealing with them" is to cook your meat thoroughly. Don't worry about the ones you can see, it's the ones you can't see that will "get ya".

Paul

[subsonic]

I wouldn't eat it unless I was starving. :lipsrsealed:

[greywolf]

I wouldn't eat it either but , i might add get rid of it don't let it hang around for the varmints to spread around and continue the cycle , paul is right most tapeworms ARE host specific , BUT i have to add , a few aren't , such as those found in freshwater fish , they CAN and WILL spread to humans, as well those found in pigs. A lot of animals ingest the segments and pass them out harmlessly, prob is those segments filled with eggs are almost indestructible, they pass out and say fall  to the ground and the next animal May or may not be susceptible to them , and the cycle goes on ......... either way I agree cooking properly is the best defence , but had i seen the critter i'd have gotten sick to my stomah and then promptly burned it, and the rabbit. Oh and btw , there is a tapeworm  species around here that infests rabbits that can pass to humans, as well as dogs ,cats etc.... so most are specific yes , but watch out for the few that aren't .

[gitano]

Greywolf's emphasis on "MOST" is a good reminder. Saying that a tapeworm species is host-specific doesn't mean it has ONLY ONE host. The so-called "fish tapeworm" (Diphyllobothrium latum) he mentions is 'host specific' in that it only infests terminally, ursids (bears), canids (dogs), and humans. But then, that's about all that eat fish. However, D. latum does not terminally infect avids (birds). At least as far as we know. Nonetheless, two things are still true for me - I ain't eatin' 'em regardless of how 'host-specific' they are, and I cook wild game well - ESPECIALLY FISH from norhern latitudes.
 
Paul

[greywolf]

oddly enough tho , the farther north you go , the less parasites, the tapeworms are almost unheard of in our northern lakes, but in the southern areas , watch out , and i might note that seems to be why the inuit have absolutely no problem eating raw fish !

[gitano]

That's certainly not the case in Alaska, and I am suspicious that it's not like that across Canada. Some of the worst D. latum infestations are found on the North Slope of the Brooks range (this is the northern-most section of Alaska). A D. latum infestation in a human, if not intense, goes mostly un-noticed. It is the 'poster-child' for tape worm 'benign' effects. The worst side-effect being "pernicious anemia" - which is vitamin B deficiency - and that only in the most severe cases of infestation. D. latum cysts (the life-stage found in fish) are easily killed by temperatures of -10C (14F). So in fish dried in the summer for winter consumption, the D. Latum cysts lose all viability shortly after the first hard frosts. In additon, it is suspected that most of the cysts are rendered inviable by the drying process, especially if it includes 'smoking'.
 
Paul

[greywolf]

hmmmmmm, never knew that about the viability , but yes i checked it out and apparently it is in manitoba but very rare here for some reason or another we have been spared a mass infestation at least  I have come across pike with tapeworms some about 18 inches long most around the 5-10 inch mark , i wonder if that is the same tapeworm? either way, the freakin little things creep me out the rarity may only be because it is not really studied here and most folks don't eat raw fish etc..... a very interesting life cycle tho

[Clueless]

YUCK!! Not me eating a tapeworm. And with rabbits you have to be careful about Tularemia.
 
When you see those little knots on a rabbits back it can be Tularemia.
 
Used to be hard to diagnose and hard to treat. Knew a youngster who whet rabbit hunting, got sick a few days later and nearly died before they could figure out what had him so sick.
 
A good rule of thumb is to never handle wild game without gloves.
 
In Hogs it's the "liver fluke" and it passes to humans.  Reason many religions consider the hog "unclean"

[LvrLover]

The things I see or don't see in wild game I kill worry me far less than what is in the food I buy in a store.

[bowhunter 51]

I must admit, I feel the same way as does lvrlover....It ain't no tell'n
the game I've consumed that have had such parasites within their
intestinal tract of which I was unaware....yet, ...as long as I continue to
practice clean handling and cooking thoroughly, I don't see any problem
with such....However, I don't really examine the in'ards of critters when
dressing them ( except with occasional examination of stomach content
of whitetail deer or crawl of a wild turkey)  that much....Of course should
I see something like a tapeworm jump out of a rabbits bu--Hind end,
I'd probably freak-out to the point of tramatized.....It's all psychological.

On the otherhand, commercial meat production ain't that perty...alot of
drugs, steroid and stuff like that is administered....I've seen stuff at sale
barns and stock yards, make ya sick...and don't think they ain't got
parasites either......enjoy your hamburger:undecided: ............................BH51............