LymeNet Flash: Lyme and Cows...????

This is topic Lyme and Cows...???? in forum Medical Questions at LymeNet Flash.

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Posted by adrenalinchick97 (Member # 6204) on :

Today i went to Sam's club and bought a huge thing of ground beef. As i was cooking it I started to wonder....!

Since Lyme gets into the tissue, organs and blood how long does it take to die off if the body is no longer alive? Ok here is what i am getting at. It has been reported that there is lyme in Cows.

At the store you are getting FRESH ground beef, right? Do you think it is possible for the bacteria to survive even after you cook it? I guess the same would go for chicken, huh.

I know this is probably a stupid question but i can't help but wonder. Can someone clearfy this for me so i can educate myself.

"Cattle
Many cattle do not display signs of Lyme disease; those that do may have lameness, painful or swollen joints, fever, laminitis, or weight loss.

A skin rash may be present on the udder of infected cows. Bb has been found to exist in urine and colostrum of infected cattle; therefore, the possibility of transmission between cows should be considered.

The Lyme bacterium has also been found in blood, milk, synovial fluid, and spontaneously aborted fetal tissue. Bb can survive in frozen milk, but is killed during pasteurization."

Posted by caat (Member # 2321) on :

Doesn't matter- just cook the heck out of it and wash your hands well after handling raw meat. Don't handle raw meat if you have a cut on your hands if you want to be especially anal(I am...) Spirochetes don't survive cooking.

I used to love beef charred on the outside and raw on the inside- but not any more...

Posted by GiGi (Member # 259) on :

I am 100% certain that the tick that bit me right next to a meadow where many cows were crazing was the one that almost ended my life and that of my husband also. Up there on a mountain range in Hawaii - I was sitting in the grass on my friends lawn adjoining the pasture only separated by an almost invisible fence.

If you suspect "cow" exposure, be sure to also think of Brucella infection - that's the one that can cause among many others Parkinsons symptoms.

There were also some "horseflys" around at the time and it is known that they also carry the disease.

I will never ever visit my friend again in her paradise! She has macular degeneration and plenty of other ailments and her husband moves in and our of the hospitals - but they have no clue what's is causing their ill health. Or rather - they don't want to know.
So sad. It almost killed a long friendship

I still eat meat - but cooked thoroughly.

Posted by janinco (Member # 6278) on :

I had done some checking on lyme being trasmitted through milk and pasteurization does kill it, so I would think that heating meat to 140 degrees would be adequate.

I always clean counters and utensils with a spray made with 3% hydrogen peroxide and a little vegetable soap. I have friends who even wear gloves when they handle raw meat.

Jan

Posted by cmichaelo (Member # 5873) on :

Stupid question here, but why is it recommended to cook meat well done and to not eat sushi?

I know the obvious reasons of Ecoli, Salmonella, etc. But what other reasons are there?

Michael