Abstract
ABSTRACTBotulism in Nunavik, Quebec is associated with the consumption of aged marine mammal meat and fat. The objective was to identify meat handling practices presenting a risk of contamination of seal meat with C. botulinum. Potential sources of contamination were assessed through interviews with igunaq producers from five communities of Nunavik. These sources were verified by detection and isolation of C. botulinum from igunaq prepared in the field from seal carcasses. Interviews indicated practices presenting a risk for contamination included: placing meat or fat on coastal rocks, using seawater for rinsing, and ageing meat in inverted seal skin pouches. Although the presence of C. botulinum type E spores was detected in only two of 32 (6.3%) meat or fat samples collected during the butchering process, two of four igunaq preparations from these samples contained type E botulinum toxin. Analysis of C. botulinum type E isolates recovered from these preparations indicated that shoreline soil may be a source of contamination. Seal meat and fat may be contaminated with C. botulinum type E during the butchering process. Measures can be adopted to reduce the risks of contamination in the field and possibly decrease the incidence of type E botulism in Nunavik.
Highlights
Type E botulism is endemic in Alaska and northern Canada, where the annual incidence ranges from 6.9 to 50.5 cases per 100,000 population [1,2]
C. botulinum type E is common in the coastal environment of Alaska [7,8] and Ungava Bay [9], increasing the risk of contamination of marine mammal meat with type E spores during the butchering process
A sub-set of seal igunaq producers from five communities in Nunavik were interviewed to determine common meat handling practices during butchering. The safety of these practices with respect to foodborne botulism was assessed in the field by evaluating the presence of type E spores on freshly cut meat and related igunaq preparations from four harvested seals and their genetic relatedness was assessed against strains from the proximate coastal environment
Summary
Type E botulism is endemic in Alaska and northern Canada, where the annual incidence ranges from 6.9 to 50.5 cases per 100,000 population [1,2]. Igunaq in Inuktitut, has been implicated in several outbreaks of type E botulism, in the Nunavik region of northern Quebec [5]. A sub-set of seal igunaq producers from five communities in Nunavik were interviewed to determine common meat handling practices during butchering. The safety of these practices with respect to foodborne botulism was assessed in the field by evaluating the presence of type E spores on freshly cut meat and related igunaq preparations from four harvested seals and their genetic relatedness was assessed against strains from the proximate coastal environment
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