| Question |
Answer |
| Example |
|
| Can I still use the animal |
*Yes, just doesn't look nice |
| Commonly infected wildlife |
Birds |
| Is this animal infected |
- Affected birds have cream-colored cysts longer than they are wide in breast, heart and leg muscle
- Cysts resemble rice grains and can be 1/4" long
- Cysts feel gritty when cut with a knife
|
| Can I get it |
No |
| How bad can it get |
No known risk to humans |
| How can I protect myself and others |
- *Scientists recommend that people and pets do not eat heavily infected meat
- Heavily-infected carcasses are unappetizing
- Parasites can be killed by cooking
|
| Symptoms in humans |
|
| Is it safe for pets |
- Not Raw
- Carnivores shed eggs in their feces, which then become infectious to birds
- Pets may play a role in transmission of sarcocystis to birds
|
| What causes it |
- Protozoan parasite called Sarcocystis rileyi
- Sarcocystis is found around the world in many types of animals, including deer, moose, elk and domestic livestock
|
