Mad Squirrel Disease

Mans dies from brain disease

OutdoorHub Reporters
3 days ago

Again, this sounds like the making of a scary Halloween movie, but it’s just another bizarre story that couldn’t have surfaced at a more appropriate time. . . A recently-uncovered medical case from 2015 may show that a man died after contracting a rare brain disease from eating squirrel brains. This would be the first instance in which the disorder was ever contracted in the United States.

The extremely rare brain disease – known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease – is caused by misfolding brain proteins called prions. When these proteins start to misfold, they cause a sort-of domino effect causing other nearby prions in the brain to misfold as well. This results in severe memory loss, dementia, psychosis, loss of coordination, and eventually death.

These zombie-like prions can also withstand radiation and chemicals such as formaldehyde!

The disease is contagious, however it’s a lot more complicated than contracting a cold from your sneezing co-worker. See, the prions cannot be spread through mucus or saliva, rather the most common way to get CJD from somebody else. . . is to eat them.

Obviously, CJD isn’t a common disease like the flu.

The last major epidemic involving the disease was recorded back in the 1950s when a remote tribe – the Fore people of Papua New Guinea – practiced a form of ritualistic cannibalism. Separately, an even rarer form of CJD, called ‘variant CJD,’ plagued the U.K. back in the 80s and 90s when people were unknowingly eating beef from cows who were infected with the bovine strain, more commonly known as mad cow disease.

The case from 2015 shows a 61-year-old man from Rochester, New York was admitted into a hospital after suffering chronic memory loss, deteriorating mental faculties, and muscle problems: all of which are symptoms of vCJD. Once the man’s brain scan results came back, researchers’ suspicions were confirmed, as the MRI results looked a lot like the other victims of vCJD.

So the question quickly became: How the heck did this man contract a rare disease such as vCJD in the first place?

The answer apparently revealed itself in his hunting habits. The man apparently loved squirrel hunting, and according to the report has ate squirrel brains at least once before. Therein lies the answer. At least potentially, as it’s possible the man ate the brain of at least one squirrel with a prion disease, leaving him infected. Of course, no one ate that man’s brains, so there’s no risk of him spreading the disease further.

However, this means that hunters – namely squirrel connoisseurs – could possibly be more at risk for CJD than previously believed.

I know, pretty dreary news. But on the bright side, you can avoid CJD by just not eating squirrel brains.
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Is this from eating raw brain tissue?

Cooking does not kill this stuff. If the brain or spinel cord is contaminated, you eat it, you will probably get it. I have heard of this from squirrel brains before.

Mad Squirrel Disease. Hmmm... I wonder, did my first wife eat squirrel brains?

That's weird that cooking would not kill this stuff.

Prions are not alive. They are misshapen protein molecules that somehow create more of the same. They are not good for you at all.
C.G.B.

Thank you. That helps me understand the problem somewhat. Strange for sure. This raises another question though, how would wild animals like squirrels, sheep, etc get this disease? I don't picture them eating the brains of infected animals.

I always heard that where Fox and Grey squirrels cross habitat they will eat each others babies. Sheep is just a sheep to sheep thing. Cows get it from contaminated renderings that are feed to live cows as food.

Squirrel brains (and chicken brains) were considered the most tasty part of the animals back in the early 1900s.

My dad used to tell us about the kids fighting to get those parts.

CKJD became a big news item with "mad cow" disease in Britain years ago.

Now it has spread to deer and other animals in the USA "chronic wasting" disease.

Apparently there is no known method of destroying the prion (at least according to info I read a few years ago).

Hell of a way to die IMO.

BH63

There was a report of a cluster of CJD in a 2-county area in Alabama some years back. Investigation revealed that the victims were members of 1 or 2 (can't remember which) extended families that were avid squirrel hunters. They routinely ate the brains, hence the relatively high occurrence of this (thankfully rare) disease there.

My Dad was born in 1921 and in summers, worked on a race-horse farm in KY that was owned by a family friend. Days were long, pay was $1 for q full (!) day's work, but good food was a perk of the job. Starting before sunup, they would all gather in the kitchen for a big, delicious breakfast. Brains from various farm animals slaughtered for meat were frequently on the menu, and he described them as delicious. No fear or knowledge of CJD back then!

Another perennial favorite was "Rocky Mountain Oysters" -- the testicles of various farm animals that were removed as part of raising food critters.

Times were different back then!
John

Thats not the first case. A friend of mines father passed away from it 10 to 15 years ago. He was in his early 60s.

Eating brains? what is wrong with people.

My granddaddy was from the Okefenokee swamp and I loved him totally...when I was a kid he used to tell me about eating all kinds of filthy critters...squirrel, 'possum, raccoon, 'gator, snake, rat...including things from the ocean/swamp waters that I only use for bait....everything including the squeal if they could catch it. I wouldn't eat anything he cooked when I stayed with him...he thought rabbit would swell up in his throat and choke him (wouldn't meat ANY white meat mom cooked)...I thought he was trying to feed me rodent....ham'n'eggs for breakfast and store bought food for dinner...it worked out fine.

What you eat is culturally biased...some folks think eating a hamburger is worse than gross and crickets/insects are tasty.

I have a VERY BIASED view on such things and DON'T APOLOGIZE....you deserve whatever you catch eating garbage...nature is that way. I can't understand why there are so many street people still around...but nature ALSO took care of that..."clean folks" are having immune system medical problems caused by the LACK of beneficial bacteria while those "dirty folks" have a very robust immune system...maybe that's why the street people are surviving and will continue too.

Good Hunting

Sounds exactly like the Chronic Wasting disease, deer are suffering from, interesting development.

Grizz

Im safe, a Squirrel is too much like a rat for me to eat..never have and never will..I have eaten a couple of road runners back in the day, a Mt. Lion, a bobcat, all Ok but not my choice.

Growing up I killed and ate a lot of squirrels. In Kentucky we have two species; the Fox squirrel and the grey squirrel.

A young squirrel is good for frying, but the older, tougher squirrels wind up in squirrel and dumplings.

Pretty good eating either way.

Although we sometimes had pork brains cooked with scrambled eggs, I never had (or wanted) squirrel brains or chicken brains.

I once had stir-fried monitor lizard in SEA. Not bad, mainly because of all the seasonings.

BH63

Kinda sounds like Granny Clampett's menu.

^


Close, but they liked possum stew, and roadkill.

We only ate, fresh-killed critters.

Interestingly enough, people who turn up their noses at squirrel, put on airs, when it comes to eating sushi.

How can eating raw fish, be superior to eating cooked squirrel?

Not to mention the fad of eating bugs. Ugh!

BH63

This disease apparently affects women more than men.

4 perfect examples are in the public eyes in America.

HILARY Clinton
AOC
Camala
Nancy!

No known cure!

When I heard people actually eat squirrels I almost choked on my egg sandwich !

Hip

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
This disease apparently affects women more than men.

4 perfect examples are in the public eyes in America.

HILARY Clinton
AOC
Camala
Nancy!

No known cure!

Saeed, your 4 candidates are all pretty squirrelly, aren't they?

This is a little late. People were warned over 20 years ago.
https://www.nytimes.com/1997/0...quirrels-brains.html

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
Squirrel eaters are not as stupid as this blogger!

Well he got his 15 minutes of fame.
Hope it was worth it.

BH63

quote:

Originally posted by cgbach:
Prions are not alive. They are misshapen protein molecules that somehow create more of the same. They are not good for you at all.
C.G.B.

Basically the same as Mad Cow disease or CWD in Cervids. A lot of mystery there.

Grizz

quote:

Originally posted by Hipshoot:
When I heard people actually eat squirrels I almost choked on my egg sandwich !

Hip

Eggs....... which fell out of a chicken's ass!!!

I had sheep brains in France and they were really good, but the french can cook anything and make it taste good. Another thing is that they were very small.

quote:

Originally posted by IOWADON:
I had sheep brains in France and they were really good, but the french can cook anything and make it taste good. Another thing is that they were very small.

I never knew a sheep that was very smart !

Hip

quote:

Originally posted by Hipshoot:
When I heard people actually eat squirrels I almost choked on my egg sandwich !

Hip

To me, a squirrel is a rat that lives in a tree. They are disgusting.... I shoot them with a pellet gun and toss them... Same with pigs....

What is the brain disease that is found in Deer in the US?

Brain is a delicacy in many cultures.

CWD or Chronic Wasting Disease. Just look what it did to those American Women Saeed mentioned! Be Well, Packy.

I think that is what Biden caught !

Hip

quote:

Originally posted by NONAGONAGIN:
My granddaddy was from the Okefenokee swamp and I loved him totally...when I was a kid he used to tell me about eating all kinds of filthy critters...squirrel, 'possum, raccoon, 'gator, snake, rat...including things from the ocean/swamp waters that I only use for bait....everything including the squeal if they could catch it. I wouldn't eat anything he cooked when I stayed with him...he thought rabbit would swell up in his throat and choke him (wouldn't meat ANY white meat mom cooked)...I thought he was trying to feed me rodent....ham'n'eggs for breakfast and store bought food for dinner...it worked out fine.

What you eat is culturally biased...some folks think eating a hamburger is worse than gross and crickets/insects are tasty.

I have a VERY BIASED view on such things and DON'T APOLOGIZE....you deserve whatever you catch eating garbage...nature is that way. I can't understand why there are so many street people still around...but nature ALSO took care of that..."clean folks" are having immune system medical problems caused by the LACK of beneficial bacteria while those "dirty folks" have a very robust immune system...maybe that's why the street people are surviving and will continue too.

Good Hunting

Had the pleasure of canoeing the Okefenokee swamp twice back in the 80's. Five day trip across the swamp in January. The old growth Cypress forrest was amazing. Had a prehistoric feel. Ranger told us as we put our canoe in the water we would be the only two people in the whole swamp. It was just below freezing a couple mornings with a thin crust of ice on the water.

As far as eating insects.......how about some Mopani Worm Larve?

Good reason not to eat any brains.

I hunt squirrels with a .22rf.

I head shoot them never having to worry about eating there brains.