Top 6 ways to avoid hog-borne diseases

Avoiding several diseases when handling feral hogs requires a few commonsense steps.
Avoiding several diseases when handling feral hogs requires a few commonsense steps.

Follow these steps to avoid feral hog-borne diseases

Feral hogs can carry a number of diseases, some of which can be contracted by humans. And at least one of those nasty bacterial infections can be fatal.

But cleaning and consuming feral hogs can be done safely, as long as you take some commonsense steeps to prevent contamination.

Here are the top 6 ways to safely handle feral hogs:

  • Always wear rubber, vinyl or nitrile gloves when handling feral hogs. This includes when handling raw meat prior to cooking.
  • Wear a mask and glasses/goggles or a face shield when processing feral hogs to prevent body fluids from feral hogs contacting your eyes, nose and mouth.
  • After processing, burn or bury disposable gloves and parts of the carcass that will not be eaten. Do not feed raw meat or parts of the carcass to dogs.
  • Always clean knives, utensils, coolers, cutting boards and other equipment used while preparing feral hogs or raw meat with a disinfectant such as diluted chlorine to kill any bacteria.
  • Wash hands as soon as possible with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
  • Always cook feral hog meat to an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Freezing, smoking and picking does not kill the bacteria that causes brucellosis.

Click here to learn more about the diseases feral hogs carry.

The post Top 6 tips to safely clean feral hogs first appeared on LouisianaSportsman.com.

About Andy Crawford 279 Articles
Andy Crawford has spent nearly his entire career writing about and photographing Louisiana’s hunting and fishing community. While he has written for national publications, even spending four years as a senior writer for B.A.S.S., Crawford never strayed far from the pages of Louisiana Sportsman. Learn more about his work at www.AndyCrawford.Photography.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply