Robert Herriman of Outbreak News Today reports that at least 17 people, including several children have contracted the parasitic infection, trichinosis, after eating smoked brown bear cub in Kataiga village in the Tomsk region of Russia.

“The fact of poisoning is confirmed, 12 people were hospitalized, one victim was taken to Tomsk to SibGMU clinics.” All in all, there are 17 cases of trichinosis. “In total, 29 cases of poisoning were detected in the region,” said EDDU employee Verkhneketskiy district.

The head of Verkheketsk district, Alexey Sidikhin, said: ‘The bear was killed in the summer, if not in the spring.

We are now looking for the hunters on our own. They also need to be warned that there is a risk of serious illness.’

Some meat was smoked, some salted. The hunters gifted the meat to villagers.

Village chief Ivan Nasonov said: ‘We have seized 57 kilograms of bear meat.

‘Some was sent analysis, some was destroyed.’