Florida man contracts infection from eating feral pig

A man in Florida developed a serious infection after eating meat from a feral pig. The incident happened in 2017, but it took years for doctors to identify the cause. The man, in his 70s, handled raw pig meat before cooking it. Experts believe he was exposed to a bacterium called Brucella suis during this time. Later, he experienced symptoms like fever, chest pain, and skin hardening on the left side of his chest. The infection spread to his implanted defibrillator, which is used to regulate heart rhythms. By the time doctors diagnosed the infection, it had already moved into the device, making treatment complicated. Removing the defibrillator was the best option for the man to fully recover. Brucella suis is a bacteria commonly found in livestock, but it is rare for it to cause infections in people, especially in medical devices. The man had to go through multiple hospital stays and different antibiotics before getting the correct diagnosis. Eventually, doctors removed the infected defibrillator, and after six weeks of antibiotics, the infection was cleared. He received a new defibrillator four months later. Now, three years later, he shows no signs of infection. This case highlights the risks of eating wild animals and unpasteurized products. With over a million feral pigs in Florida, the potential for these infections is a concern.