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| Causative Agent |
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An abscess is a
pus-filled pocket situated
within animal tissues surrounded by a wall of scar tissue. An abscess
may form after a wound is infected by
bacteria and cannot drain.
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Abscesses may form as a
result of external injuries or from internal infections.
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| Images |
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Click on image to enlarge. |
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Abscesses and pus within
caribou muscle. |
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| Distribution |
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Geographic and Seasonality: |
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Abscesses may occur in wildlife throughout the year and throughout
British Columbia.
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| Species Affected |
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Abscesses can occur in a variety of species in northern British Columbia.
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| Signs and Symptoms |
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Abscesses are usually characterized by a whitish, soft to firm
lump that contains thick
white, or yellowish-green, often foul-smelling,
pus.
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Animals with abscesses may appear healthy without
any outwards signs of disease.
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Most abscesses are found during the butchering
process and can be found throughout the body.
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The severity of an abscess is dependent on the
location in the body, the pressure it may exert on nearby tissues,
the amount of tissue destroyed, its age and amount of
bacterial toxins that are produced.
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| Meat Edible? |
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Portions of meat that contain abscesses should not be eaten. If numerous
abscesses are present throughout many organs, the animal may not be
suitable for human consumption.
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If a single abscess is present, it can be trimmed out and the remainder
of the carcass is usually suitable for human consumption.
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| Human Health Concerns and
Risk Reduction |
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Care should be taken to not cut into an abscess as
bacteria in
pus can spread to other
locations and contaminate other parts of the carcass.
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| Samples for Diagnosis |
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The entire abscess should be collected as well as any surrounding tissue;
samples can be frozen.
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Further Reading |
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