(WAND) – Deer that have tuberculosis can transmit the bacteria to people, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said following a case study.
The CDC said it began investigating the possibility after a 2017 Michigan case revealed a 77-year-old man was diagnosed with TB. The victim, a hunter who spent 20 years dressing deer in the state and was a regular hunter, had no exposure to people or countries that have endemic tuberculosis, according to a report from NBC affiliate KMTR.
Authorities believe the man was field-dressing carcasses and removing diseased parts of a deer when he inhaled mycobacterium bovis bacteria, which can be transmitted to people and cause TB. It’s found in deer, elk, cattle and bison.
There were two other TB cases in Michigan linked to deer.
In response to TB concerns, the CDC said hunters should have on protective gear when field-dressing deer. Michigan hunters have a higher risk if they submit deer heads that test positive for the bacteria.
