Hunters have no fear over health warning

Wild meat hunters say they are not concerned about warnings of pathogens that causes diseases in humans because they butcher and store the meat as well and as safely as possible.

On May 15, during the Health Ministry’s covid19 media briefing, director of veterinary public health Dr Saed Rahaman said pathogens that caused the potentially lethal leptospirosis disease, salmonella, and an organism that can lead to heart conditions which can lead to death, had been found in local wildlife consumed by some people.

He added that the lead from the ammunition used in hunting was also toxic. He said research showed the lead predisposed certain populations, especially children, to lead poisoning.

The warning came ahead of the reopening of the hunting season on October 1.

Andy Bharat, a hunter from Chaguanas, said he has been a licensed hunter for the past 15 years but has been hunting in Moruga forests for agouti, lappe, tattoo, manicou, and iguana since he was a boy.

He said hunters were aware that wild meat from South America was “tainted” and that there was the possibility that local wild meat could be as well.

“But the way we prepare it as a hunter, we take precautions and prepare it safely. That means knowing what parts you have to take out, using gloves, basic sanitation and things like that.”

He said sometimes hunters may not have running water in the forest but said they should be prepared and bring in water and ice to store the meat after preparing it. He said some people smoke the meat to preserve it but not everyone knew how to do that properly.

Bharat also admitted that most of the bullets local hunters used were lead. He said he noticed foreign authorities attempting to phase out the use of lead and use steel slugs. He said lead could remain in the ground and contaminate the soil, and steel slugs had a better chance of a sure kill rather than wounding the prey.

He said when preparing the meat, hunters usually cut out the area around the bullet wound as well as any areas where the blood coagulated, and if the bullet struck any bone that area too is removed, making the meat safe for consumption.

One hunter from Point Fortin, David Robinson, has been a licensed hunter for six years and hunts in Chatham and Buenos Ayres in south Trinidad.

He said the public health warning would not stop him from hunting because he believed once a hunter cleaned the carcass immediately and properly, it would be safe to eat. He said people should remove the bladder and intestines without rupturing it because if they either burst in the body and was not cleaned properly, it would contaminate the meat.

He said he learned to clean and wash the meat from experienced hunters, as well as from the pamphlet on methods of cleaning and disposing of wild meat when he did his regulations for his license, so he was not concerned.

He also did not believe news of wild meat with pathogens would affect sales. He said people had been hunting and buying wild meat for years and nothing happened to them so they would continue to eat it.

However, he said if the government was concerned it should put something in place to get meat tested and certified.

In addition, he said he did not think the authorities should open the hunting season later than expected because of covid19. He said hunters did not usually go out in large groups and many times some hunted during the day while others hunted at night so there were not many people in a camp at any one time.

He added that, the last time the hunting season was postponed by a year, it resulted in a glut on the market and then a reduced number of animals during the next season because of overhunting.

Dr Karla Georges, Director of the School of Veterinary Medicine, The UWI St Augustine told Sunday Newsday just because these animals may harbour pathogens and could serve as reservoir hosts for some diseases such as Trypanosoma cruzi, it did not necessarily mean that the animals themselves were sick.

“In fact, hunters play a major role in syndromic surveillance activities and report cases of dead or dying monkeys which is important to alert Public Health Officials on cycling of the yellow fever virus.”

She said the health concern was tp alert hunters and consumers who handled raw meat which may have been contaminated by improper processing, storage, and handling, as well as to those who slaughter unhealthy animals.

She astressed that only healthy animals should be sold and consumed, so it was important that hunters recognised the difference between a healthy and sick animal.

“In some countries there are inspectors who do this specifically for wildlife slaughtered but there is no formal system in place in Trinidad for inspection of wildlife carcases that I am aware of.”

Georges said it was important to consider good food safety practices when butchering because the meat of a healthy animal is sterile but becomes contaminated during dressing. For example, she said the animal should be completely bled, and the evisceration process should occur in such a way that there was no contamination of the carcass with the contents of the intestines or bladder.

“They should practice good hygiene, best slaughter techniques to prevent contamination, appropriate waste disposal and chilling of carcases after slaughter. Be self-aware, up to date with vaccines. Thorough cooking is also very important to ensuring safe food.”

She noted that there were other dangers to human health besides the handling and eating of wild meat. She said encroaching into the forested areas exposes people to be bitten by insect or arthropod vectors which transmit viruses, protozoans and bacterial pathogens. These people could then bring these diseases into the urban areas and infect others.

“Ticks, lice and fleas on carcases can transmit diseases to humans. Handling organs such as lungs, liver, intestines, etc with bare hands can impose a risk of infection if the animal is not well. Hunting dogs are in close contact with wildlife and are at risk as well. Feeding raw offal to domestic animals can result in transmission of diseases. People should be aware of what is normal and what is considered abnormal for a live animal and a slaughtered one.”

She said hunting was an important social activity in many communities so it was important that everyone involved understood the risks.