Right after my writing up yesterday’s post, I began the process of dressing my quarry. Upon field dressing my black duck, things didn’t quite look right. Both breasts were impregnated with small white objects that resembled rice. My personal philosophy with questionable game is “when in doubt, toss it out” and that's exactly what I did. But this issue remained at the core of my undying process to know everything before I die, so I then began the almighty search of answers to my questions. So here goes...
I started by searching for parasites that affect ducks and quickly made way to this protozoan parasite named sarcocystis. After comparing several pictures online to my photo, it became apparent that I was getting close to determining the cause of avian rice meat. However, this disease is distributed world wide and found in a variety of animal species which led me to consider this question, “Is this common in Maine and am I at risk since I dressed the animal?”.
This morning I wrote to the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife with a description of my findings and was responded to in a timely fashion. Sure enough it was Sarcocystis, or “Rice Breast Disease”. It isn’t common in Maine, but does occur in waterfowl as Sarcocystis rileyi when duck either feed or drink from water that has the eggs of the parasite. Here is a good link to read up on this topic. Click Here
For my safety, it looks like I’m okay especially after cleaning up well once I discovered the problem. It has been suggested that you can still cook the meat very well and still digest the meat, but I’m not sure anybody would be interested in trying Parasite Infested Duck.
The hen taken at the same time had no evidence of being infected.
Take care,
DEDH
I have never seen anything like that!
ReplyDeleteWOW. Great post and find. Thanks for sharing this one. I too follow the "When in doubt, throw it out" rule.
ReplyDeleteYeah. I would be nervous...hate to waste meat. Also hate hospitals, vomiting and things growing in me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
That is a shame since they are very weary birds to start off with. I think you made he right choice to toss it.
ReplyDeleteI have heard about this but not experienced it first hand. I did shoot a drake Mallard this season that I tossed out due to his liver being rock hard and lumpy with off colored (yellow'ish)tissue.I knew something was wrong the second I reached inside to clean him. Just didn't feel right. Hated to do it but it was the right choice.
ReplyDeleteWow and gross all in the same but I'm with you, when it doubt, toss it out. Yuck.
ReplyDeleteHa, you obviously don't goose hunt much! We see rice breast in resident birds that hang out in stagnant stormwater and golf course ponds in the summer. I have seen in it big, fat, local geese, esp. harvested in the September RP season.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen it in migratory birds in Dec or January.
You are correct Swamper, only three geese my entire lifetime and they all occurred last December. I was quite surprised to find this on any account, but it did make for an interesting research opportunity.
ReplyDeleteI found a mallard with this on a pond in Arkansas
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting . Very common here in southeast Louisiana..I have eaten it but most of the time just throw it out if it looks severe like the one above.
ReplyDelete