# SNOW GEESE & BACTERIAL MENINGITIS



## Uncle Fuzzy (Dec 27, 2005)

This is copied from an email from a friend who knows the affected hunter personally. I have since then spoken with Denis's wife who was a judge at our hunt test two weeks ago, so this story is true and not some scam.

"Denis went on a Missouri goose hunt in March. The official diagnosis was not a stroke, but rather bacterial meningitis. For those not familiar with this it is basically a brain infection. Depending on the type bacterial (better) or viral (worse) it can be fatal, require extensive rehab to retrain your brain, or be more moderate. Denis appears to be recovering quickly with heavy doses of antibiotics. Keep him in your prayers. Meningitis is carried by birds and mosquitos. The doctors seem to think the most likely place he contracted this is from the birds from his recent Missouri hunt. Bottom line is we all need to think about putting some hand sanitizer in our training and hunting gear. A little hand sanitizer may have been able to prevent this horrible ordeal."

In talking with a doctor about this, she said that it was probably a bacteria which was spread through exchange of body fluids as opposed to absorption of blood through a cut. I haven't heard of any other cases, the the guide he hunted with and the Missouri Conservation Dept have been alerted.


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## johnsd16 (Sep 15, 2009)

I'm a MD and that paragraph is so full of errors I'm just going to go ahead and throw the flag. Not accurate info at all.


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## 6162rk (Dec 5, 2004)

doc,

can you add some info that may be helpful? lots of hunters on here that would like to hear.

thanks


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## templey_41 (Jul 19, 2008)

johnsd16 said:


> I'm a MD and that paragraph is so full of errors I'm just going to go ahead and throw the flag. Not accurate info at all.


You're a dentist! If someone collapses just call 911!

Unfortunate for your friend tho. Hope he has a speedy recovery.


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## johnsd16 (Sep 15, 2009)

templey_41 said:


> johnsd16 said:
> 
> 
> > I'm a MD and that paragraph is so full of errors I'm just going to go ahead and throw the flag. Not accurate info at all.
> ...


And you're a car salesman. Don't worry buddy, my ACLS and BLS certs are up to date.

It is not a brain infection, it is an infection of the surrounding tissues and fluid around the brain and spinal cord - the meninges, hence "meningitis". Also, bacterial meningitis is the one that is typically considered "worse". It is a much more fulminant infection and is the one you hear college kids dying of after less than 24 hrs at times but typically in 24-72hrs if untreated. Several different types of bacteria can cause meningitis as well. What types depend on age, environment and risk factors.

Viral meningitis is typically more indolent but can still be very severe though this is usually in hosts with some sort of compromised immune system. Bacterial meningitis results in significant neurologic sequelae more often than viral. Also, mosquitos and birds more often transmit the oraganisms that cause viral meningitis than bacterial. Much more often from what I know but I am not an expert in zoonosis.

Fungi can also cause meningitis, which can ber very very difficult to treat as well and can be contracted from exposure to bird feces and plowed dirt. This most commonly occurs in an immunocompromised host.

I'm not sure now one would have gotten bacterial meningitis from a goose, if it did happen it would be worthy of a case report, but there is no way to ever tell. Also, we don't actually know what this guy really had and what his medical history may have contributed. DId he have cancer and was on chemo and had a weakened immune system, does he have diabetes, did he have another infection already, was there a concomitant pneumonia, has he had intracranial surgery. Who knows. However, being careful and using hand sanitizer etc is never a bad idea. Since ducks and geese are avian and we are mammals our physiology is dissimillar to the point where we do not get most of their infections.

Just think, with the volume of hunters out there every season with cuts on their hands, faces, etc and coming into contact with all manner of blood body fluid, meat, even eating lightly cooked meat etc, people all over aren't getting this. Good hygine and careful processing cannot hurt you, but there should not be some big scare at this point.


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## 9manfan (Oct 22, 2008)

templey_41 said:


> johnsd16 said:
> 
> 
> > I'm a MD and that paragraph is so full of errors I'm just going to go ahead and throw the flag. Not accurate info at all.
> ...


It's not gambling if you know your going to win !!!!


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## dsm16428 (Feb 19, 2009)

As a nurse that works with the youth at a facility where there are anywhere between 60 and 80 residents at any one time, I can tell you from experience that that dentist has his facts straight. Bacterial Menigitis is without the worst and most common type and has an incredibly high mortality rate due to how fast it does its damage if left untreated! If he were to contract Meningitis, especially the bacterial type...from a goose, the Dept. of Health would have immediately been informed by the physician caring for him as like was said, it one, would have seriously been a case of note and two, most, if not all states require reporting of a disease like that to the state's DOH and labs within 24 hours. Proper hygeine, hand washing and the use of disposable gloves while cleaning game are the best things you can do to minimize infection. I always...ALWAYS carry alcohol based hand sanitizer with me, especially when field dressing birds. I see too few folks doing this and even simple infections in cuts could be greatly reduced if we all used proper sanitation and protective equipment.


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