Trichinellosis is a disease people can get from eating undercooked meat that is infected with microscopic parasites. Most people associate trichinellosis with eating undercooked pork, but in recent years, more cases have been attributed to eating undercooked wild game such as bear.
Early symptoms of trichinellosis include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomiting. These may be followed by fever, muscle pains, facial swelling, and fatigue. Symptoms can last from weeks to months, and can vary in severity.
Properly cooking meat will prevent trichinellosis. Wild game should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees. A meat thermometer should be used because color is not a good indicator of doneness. Smoking, freezing, or curing game meat does not kill all Trichinella parasites.