Small white spots on cottontail liver?

[Longtoke]

This evening I was doing a bit of rabbit hunting and was lucky enough to bag a couple. I always do a thorough check on organs of any animal I am going to eat and these rabbits were no different. Unfortunately one of the rabbits had a few small white spots on its liver. The spots were not raised and about the size of the end of a pencil lead, while some were even smaller.

I wish I had a picture but I discarded the rabbit in the field for the predators.

Does anyone know what this?

[chinook907]

Sounds like maybe tularemia.  Bad stuff, get it checked out.

[trad_bowhunter1965]

try this link  http://wildlifedisease.unbc.ca/tularemia.htm

[Longtoke]

I was afraid of that, the rabbit appeared to be healthy and no organs were enlarged, good thing I wore rubber gloves.

[Roadkill]

Last year we were finding fluid sacs with white lumps in the digestive tract.  Biologist said it was flea larva.  We also found them in sacs in the shoulder areas.  They said cook thoroughly as did the posting for tularemia.  I have seen those liver spots and like you, I use rubber gloves.  They can still be eaten.

[nineworlds9]

Tularemia cases in humans are at a high right now.  BE safe during handling, be careful not to poke through your gloves with any bones.  Cook beyond a reasonable doubt LOL.

[Roadkill]

On another note.  I never use a knife when dressing rabbits, only game scissors.  They skin easily without a knife, especially if you snip off the head and forefeet first.  Snip pelvic arch and lay scissors parallel to the skin until the diagram, snip thru that sternum to the throat. Guts fall out, pull out lungs and heart, pluck kidneys, then rear feet.   I also soak them in vinegar and salt water for a couple of hours to kill bacteria and draw out some of the blood.
Luckily our state game office is three miles, so I take samples of unknowns to the biologist, she likes that.  I get real answers.

You are right to be wary of the disease and to protect yourself

[mec lineman]

That is a sure sign of Tularemia. I should know I contacted Jan17 2014 and I am still not 100%. I dressed all the rabbits with gloves as usual,I contracted it when cutting into frying size pieces . That was on a Sat and started getting sick Thursday morning,by Thursday night I was in the emergency room.
Not trying to scare you, but do not play around if you start getting flu symptoms. Let your physician know you have been exposed to possible tularemia. They Must take a titer test of your blood to positively diagnose you!!!! Please contact me I'd you have any questions.

[J-dog]

Ok no wabbit this year?

[JEFF B]

yup its good to get rid of any thing with spots on liver lungs . any how thats what i have been told. and I'm still here  

[Stumpkiller]

Looks like this . . . sometimes.

   

But can look normal or even worse.  If you get a skin ulcer get to a Dr. and tell them you have handled a possible infected rabbit.  It is spread by the fleas and ticks, not from handling or ingestion (unless you have a cut, etc.).  But it's bacterial so if you handled an infected bunny and then wiped your eyes, nose, mouth there is also a chance of infection.

Google this and scare the crap out of yourself:
 ulceroglandular tularemia


I managed to come up with a blood infection from   Bartonella henselae (Cat Scratch Disease) that is usually minor but mine went through my lymph system and into a blood infection.  I lost 33% of my body weight and was sick as a dog.  I'd go from fevers to chills several times a day and had zero strength.

[Longbow917]

My dad always refused to let us kill rabbit/ squirrel when growing up til after hard freeze in Iowa- then to always check liver and lungs.  Any spots- discard and wash hands thoroughly!  He said a real hard freeze typically kills off sick critters.

[kennyb]

Deleted

[tippit]

I picked up tularemia by breathing in the fur a baby wild rabbit that was brought into my veterinary clinic.  Pneumonia with temperature of 107!  In Mass General for a week and written up as patient in New England Journal of Medicine...almost died.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

That's Pretty Scary Stuff. Jeff and Charlie, I am glad you guys are OK.

would a  hand Sanitizer be effective (for your hands) after cleaning rabbits if it is a  bacteria?

[wooddamon1]

Good question^^^?

[mec lineman]

there are 3 main types of tularemia, the most common comes from an insect bite and usually forms an ulser or sore at the bite. I contracted the other two, one from a cut on my thumb from the severed rabbit spine and pnuemonially from breathing in the bacteria from the fur. When I was a kid my neighbor nearly died from rabbit fever because the doctors could not diagnose it. When I cut my thumb that Saturday evening,my wheels started turning. I woke up the following thurs with flu symptoms and very swollen lymphnodes under my arm pit. The original doctor refused to believe it had anything to due with tularemia. I begged him to at least give me a antibiotic just in case. I thru up for 12 hrs straight, had horrible headaches that were linked to possible minigitis bacteria. This stuff is no joke. finally got sent to infectious disease speacialist and saw him for 8 mnths. I am still weak and have 25% strength in my arm ,lymphs are still swollen and sore. WORST PART being on antibiotics for 7 mnths and worken in the sun.

[Stumpkiller]

Originally posted by Cyclic-Rivers:
That's Pretty Scary Stuff. Jeff and Charlie, I am glad you guys are OK.

would a  hand Sanitizer be effective (for your hands) after cleaning rabbits if it is a  bacteria?

Bacteria come in two categories - Gram positive and Gram negative.  It refers to a dye test that is used.  The violet dye is in an alcohol mix.  The ones that soak up the alcohol (and dye) are Gram positive.  The others have a waxy, hard or double membrane and the alcohol doesn't get in.  So the Gram negative buggers may not be killed off with an alcohol wipe - but the mechanical action of scrubbing helps with any bacteria.  Others are "smart" enough that some of the population is always in a hard cyst and are protected until they "germinate" out of the cyst state (i.e. the critters that cause Gangrene & Tetanus)

Tularemia's Bartellona is Gram negative - so it resists alcohol intrusion.

The ones we consider "bad" mostly are. The causative bacteria in Cholera, Tetanus, Samonella, Meningitus.  Worse are the ones that produce toxins as well - like Samonella.  Killing the bacteria won't help because the bacteria poop is toxic and pretty heat stable.

Who said I'd never use that two semester Microbology I & II course I took as a lab elective in college.

Note also - sometimes killing the 20 or so "good" flora we have in and on our bodies lets the "bad" guys in.  Lots of alcohol lotion dries the skin, skin cracks, capillaries near the surface, good bacteria is dead so bad bacteria moves in and has a route inside the body.  Sooooo . . . using an alcohol scrub is 50/50 as to whether it makes any difference.  It does clean the gunk off and mechanically removes the placed bacteria hide - so it is beneficial that way.