Human Ingestion of Bacillus Anthracis-Contaminated Meat --- Minnesota, August
2000  (from Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, by the CDC)

On August 25, 2000, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) was notified by
the Minnesota Board of Animal Health (MBAH) of Bacillus anthracis isolated
from a steer on a farm in Roseau County, Minnesota. The infected steer was
one of five dead cattle found in a pasture on August 20. On the basis of
phage typing of isolates cultured from tissues and blood samples by the North
Dakota State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, B. anthracis was
confirmed.

On July 24, the farmer who owned the infected steer also had killed, gutted,
and skinned a cow that was unable to rise. A local veterinarian approved the
slaughter of the cow for consumption by the farmer's family. Immediately
after slaughter, the farmer took the carcass (carcass X) to a custom
meat-processing plant; on July 31 and August 1, carcass X was processed. Two
family members ate hamburgers made from carcass X on August 15 and steaks on
August 19; three other family members ate hamburgers on August 20. A sixth
member prepared the meals and also may have eaten contaminated meat. All meat
was reported to have been well cooked. To investigate the possibility that
they had eaten contaminated meat, the family members were interviewed by MDH
on August 25. Two reported gastrointestinal illness; one reported 1 day of
diarrhea approximately 48 hours after eating meat from carcass X, and the
second reported 3 days of abdominal pain, diarrhea, and a temperature of
102.3 F (39.1 C) beginning 24--36 hours after consumption. Both recovered
without treatment. The family was advised by MDH not to eat any more of the
meat, to contact a physician, and to begin antibiotic prophylaxis with
ciprofloxacin (500 mg, orally, twice daily).

On August 29, samples of carcass X tested by the MDH Public Health Laboratory
(MDH PHL) were found to contain gram-positive bacilli on microscopic
examination. B. anthracis contamination was confirmed at MDH PHL and the U.S.
Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases and vaccination with
anthrax vaccine was initiated (Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed*, Bioport
Corporation, Lansing, Michigan).

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) contacted the custom meat
processing plant on August 28 and placed a hold on all meat processed after
carcass X. On August 29, MDA inspected the plant; sanitation practices were
satisfactory. Seven carcasses had been processed after carcass X. Owners of
meat from the carcasses were advised not to eat any of the meat and were
asked to return meat to a central location for incineration.

QUESTION: WHEN THEY SAY THE MEAT WAS INCINERATED, DOES THAT MEAN "MEDIUM
RARE"?

Posted by:  Joy O. Cooken