Trichinellosis, a zoonotic parasitic disease, is usually transmitted through raw or undercooked muscle tissue. We report a 25-year-old hunter from Hokkaido, Japan, who acquired trichinellosis by consuming a raw bear eyeball, a tissue previously presumed to be parasite-free. He developed fatigue and rash within 3 days, followed by fever and myalgia 9 days after consumption. Serology confirmed trichinellosis, and treatment with albendazole led to full recovery. Among five hunters who consumed meat from the same bear, only the two who ate raw eyeballs developed the disease, whereas those who ate only cooked meat remained asymptomatic. This appears to be the first report of trichinellosis linked to raw bear eyeballs. Clinicians and public health practitioners should be aware that any uncooked tissue may carry an infection risk. These findings underscore the need for vigilance against unconventional transmission routes and culturally sensitive education for accurate diagnosis and prevention.
Jinno et al. (Thu,) studied this question.