CDC Says Michigan Hunter Got Tuberculosis From Field Dressing Deer

What is going on in Michigan? Last week we told you about how their department of health urged the public to cancel outdoor events due to a deadly mosquito illness. Now, a report has surfaced that involves a 2017 case of a deer hunter contracting tuberculosis from field dressing a deer.

According to the CDC, the man became ill after field dressing a deer. Doctors had ruled out other factors that could have given him TB, such as visiting an infected area, drinking unpasteurized milk, or being exposed to infected humans.

That brought it down to the deer, which can carry the Mycobacterium bovis. The man was 77 years old at the time of contracting the illness.

This isn't the first case in Michigan. It happened back in 2002, and 2004. The CDC believes that it is contracted by inhaling aerosols with the bacterium while field dressing the deer. It is very rare, but it can happen.

To avoid exposure, hunters are suggested to wear protective gear while field dressing a deer.