Walrus tests positive for trichinella in Naujaat
Health Department advises hunters to get meat tested for parasite
Nunavut’s Health Department is warning people in Naujaat that a recently hunted walrus has tested positive for trichinella. (File photo)
A walrus harvested this month in Naujaat has tested positive for trichinella, says the Nunavut Health Department.
“If you have eaten any uncooked walrus recently, and have experienced stomach pain, muscle pain, diarrhea, swollen eyelids, sweating or weakness, you may be infected with trichinella,” said a public service announcement, issued by the department on Friday.
“Let your health-care provider know that you ate uncooked walrus if you have any of these symptoms.”
The walrus was harvested Aug. 10, according to the department.
Trichinella is a parasitic infection caused by roundworm larvae. Freezing or fermenting will not kill trichinella — it can only be killed by cooking meat to a temperature of at least 160 F.
It can be deadly if left untreated. A man in Arctic Bay died in 2008 after eating infected walrus meat. The earlier it is caught, the greater the likelihood treatment will be effective, says a trichinella fact sheet published by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
The Heath Department encourages people to sanitize utensils that have come into contact with uncooked walrus and to avoid feeding uncooked, untested walrus meet to pets.
The only way to detect trichinella is through testing meat. Hunters can contact their local environmental health officer to learn about testing options, the public service announcement said.
Trichinella was detected in a walrus in Rankin Inlet in September 2024 and in polar bear meat distributed in Clyde River in December 2015.
Here we go again 2 weeks later everyone probably finished the meal already
As long as it was cooked to at least 74C it won’t matter.
Is walrus the only marine mammal that has this, seals, whales, can they also carries this?
What about fish and other harvested country food?