The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a report about a Michigan man being infected by tuberculosis (TB) from a deer. According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the 77-year-old man contracted the disease through his nearly 20 years of hunting and living in and around northern, lower Michigan. The CDC determined that deer in Michigan are hosts for the disease and can transmit TB to cattle herds and humans.
The four-county area in Michigan that the man is from has a low incidence of human TB. However, levels of TB in deer are higher in that region than in the rest of the state. It was noted in the report that the man had a lower immunity to disease because of certain medications he was taking.
Michigan residents should be aware that exposure to an infected deer can lead to an infection that shows up right away, or the disease may lay dormant for a number of years. This is especially true in a host who has a compromised immune system.
Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.
