Oct. 31--Three Des Plaines men who hunted wild boar at a ranch in Missouri are suing the ranch, claiming that the swine they killed and ate made them sick.
According to the suit filed Thursday in Cook County Circuit Court, Dimitar Kyurkchiev, Yordan Kyurkchiev and Miroslav Kyurkchiev contracted the parasitic infection trichinosis after their trip to High Adventure Ranch in Cook Station, Mo., on Jan. 15, 2013.
Trichinosis is rare, but people can contract it by eating raw or undercooked meat from animals, some of which can get infected by eating carcasses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The lawsuit didn't specify the men's symptoms, but according to the CDC, initial symptoms of trichinosis can include nausea and diarrhea. Muscle pain, fever and fatigue are among the symptoms that can develop within two weeks and last up to eight weeks, according to the CDC.
The plaintiffs are claiming negligence on the part of the ranch, alleging that the herds hadn't been inspected for infections and that carcasses were allowed to remain on the property. The suit further claims that the ranch failed to inspect its meat products, which it processes at the ranch, to make sure they did not contain parasites.
It also alleges negligent misrepresentation and common law fraud, claiming the men were told the meat was safe for consumption.
The owner of the ranch, when reached by phone Thursday night, said this is the first such complaint he has received in 31 years in business.
Charles Puff also said his company tries to keep its boar from eating carcasses, but "wild animals just eat wild animals."
"Anybody that knows about pork can tell you, you gotta cook it," he said.
