SC - Armadillos for Gunthar

[Michael F. Gunter]

> The main problem with armadillo is that they are known carriers of leprosy.
> Of course not all of them carry it but it is a significant danger if an
> animal is not properly handled during cleaning, and cooking. This is from
> memory but that is my take on it.
>
> Ras

sigh. Okay, just to make some clarification. First is that, for fear of any
contamination, I asked for only inspected meat. I know the dangers of
any wild food and since so few hunt armadillo I didn't want to take
chances. On the second part, truly not picking on Ras here, is that I have
gotten many replies from people who have heard something or the other
but felt  they had to tell me about the leprosy. Once again
I really am not speaking to Ras on this but it's about the 10th post
like this I've recieved.

The whole leprosy thing is based on the fact of a few isolated cases
discovered in primative tribes who ate the armadillo raw or severly
undercooked. Leprosy is a virus which is destroyed by proper cooking
and is extremely rare anyway. It's like not eating beef because a few
heads of cattle can carry mad-cow disease.

Armadillo is no more dangerous to eat than any other wild animal. The
whole leprosy thing is because they are fairly unique in the animal world
by the fact that they CAN get leprosy. Not that it is common.

I need to contact my local USDA representative and see if they have a
source for the meat.

I am careful and have researched the topic. I didn't know about the leper
colony though. That is interesting.

Yers,

Gunthar