You’ve just unwrapped your beautiful fresh turkey only to find it covered in strange black spots and blotches on the skin. An unpleasant surprise to be sure, but no need to panic. Those black spots on your raw turkey are likely harmless, though the look may be unappetizing. Let’s dive into what causes black spots on turkeys and whether it’s still safe to cook and eat.
What Causes Black Spots on Turkey Skin?
The primary culprit behind black spots and markings on raw turkey is an organism called Histomonas meleagridis. This single-celled parasite leads to a disease commonly known as blackhead. Despite the alarming name, blackhead poses minimal risk to humans healthwise. However, it can have detrimental effects on turkeys.
Here’s a bit more background on the blackhead parasite:
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Carried by the cecal worm, Heterakis gallinarum, which is very common but typically harmless in turkeys.
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Cecal worm eggs ingested by turkeys release histomonas in the ceca.
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Histomonas then spreads to the liver, causing focal necrosis and the blackhead lesions.
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Can be transmitted via infected earthworms, who can harbor cecal worm eggs for up to 12 years!
Is Turkey with Black Spots Safe to Eat?
The good news is that despite the unappetizing appearance turkey with black spots and markings from blackhead is still perfectly safe for human consumption. The histomonas parasite poses virtually no risk to humans. Proper cooking will kill any potential bacteria or parasites present.
According to USDA guidelines, as long as the turkey smells and looks normal besides the skin discoloration, it is fine to cook and eat. There is no safety concern from occasionally consuming meat with these black tissue spots. Just take care to cook the turkey thoroughly to 165°F minimum internal temperature.
So if your fresh or thawed turkey has light speckling or distinct black splotches on the skin, don’t be alarmed. Simply trim off the affected areas if desired, and proceed to prepare, cook, and serve the turkey normally. No special precautions are needed. Enjoy your holiday bird without worries!
How to Prevent Black Spots on Turkeys
While black spots on raw turkeys are common and harmless, you may still wish to avoid them in the future. Here are some tips from poultry experts on reducing blackhead risks:
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Buy turkeys from reputable suppliers following sanitary protocols. Smaller farms are more likely to have blackhead issues.
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Raise turkeys on rotated pastures rather than permanent housing. This limits worm/egg transmission.
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Use raised coops and prevent turkey contact with soil to reduce worm exposure.
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Administer preventative medications like nitarsone in feed to suppress histomonas.
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Follow strict biosecurity measures like quarantining new birds, washing hands/boots, etc.
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Select turkey breeds genetically more resistant to blackhead like Bourbon Reds.
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Avoid stressors like overcrowding, poor nutrition, or sudden diet changes.
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Promptly remove and dispose of any birds showing signs of illness.
While not foolproof, these best practices can help lower the likelihood of black spots occurring on turkeys from parasitic infection. When buying direct from a farm or producer, don’t hesitate to ask about their health protocols.
What Do Turkey Black Spots Look Like?
If you spot dark patchy areas on your raw turkey skin and aren’t sure if it’s blackhead, here are some identifying characteristics:
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Markings that are distinct and sharply defined, usually circular or oblong.
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Color ranging from light grey to jet black. Often a dark greenish-black shade.
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Size from a pinhead to several inches wide.
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Distribution focused mainly on the breast, thighs, back, and wings.
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Spots are flat against the skin, not raised bumps.
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Meat below spots appears normal with no odor.
Compare this to other more superficial causes of skin discoloration like bruises or blood spots, which are smoother and reddish-purple rather than such dark black. If in doubt, use the turkey smell test – blackhead only impacts appearance.
Is Blackhead Harmful to Humans?
While blackhead disease can be devastating to domestic turkeys if left unchecked, it poses virtually zero risk to human health. The histomonas parasite cannot be transmitted to humans through meat consumption according to health agencies worldwide.
At most, ingesting infected turkey meat may lead to a very mild, transient illness in humans. And even this is exceptionally rare – there are no documented cases to date. Any parasites or bacteria present will be eradicated by proper cooking.
So you can confidently eat turkey with black spots without worrying about your health. It may look unpleasant pre-cooking, but the poultry is just as safe as any other after thorough cooking to safe internal temperatures. Bring your beauty of a bird to the holiday table with full peace of mind.
Lifecycle and Signs of Disease
The lifecycle of the protozoa H. meleagridis is complex:
- As the bird eats, the protozoa grow in its cecum, which is part of its digestive tract.
- They move to the bird’s intestines where the roundworm H. gallinarum lives;.
- The roundworm eats the protozoa;
- The roundworm’s eggs become infected with the protozoa;
- The bird sheds the protozoal-infected roundworm eggs in its droppings.
Healthy birds get protozoa when they eat food, invertebrates (like earthworms), or bird droppings that have protozoa on them. Direct bird-to-bird transmission can also occur within a flock. Roundworms are often found in the intestines of chickens, partridges, and pheasants. This means that these birds can infect other birds with them.
Birds with blackhead disease are usually listless and have drooping wings, unkempt feathers, and yellow droppings. Typically, the cecum and liver of an infected bird will become inflamed and develop ulcers. Young birds become sick quickly and usually die within a few days after signs appear. The disease develops more slowly in older birds and they often become emaciated and may eventually die.
Turkeys are highly susceptible to blackhead disease. Once a turkey flock has been infected, 70 to 100% of the birds may die. In one survey, U. S. turkey industry professionals reported at least 50 outbreaks of the disease each year since 2009. 1 Blackhead disease is less severe in chickens but can lead to poor health and reduced egg production.
Histostat (nitarsone), an arsenic-based animal drug, was the only FDA-approved drug to prevent blackhead disease in poultry. But in 2015, the drug company stopped selling Histostat on its own and asked the FDA to take back its approval because of worries about the amount of inorganic arsenic in birds that were given the drug. Currently, there are no animal drugs approved to prevent, treat, or control blackhead disease in the U. S.
More Information on the withdrawal of Histostat (nitarsone):
What is FDA doing about the lack of approved drugs against blackhead disease in poultry?
The National Turkey Federation asked the FDA to say if treating blackhead disease in turkeys is a “minor use in a major species.” The FDA’s Office of Minor Use and Minor Species Animal Drug Development looked at information from the federation and other sources and decided that using a drug to keep flocks of turkeys with blackhead disease from dying is a minor use. Because of this evaluation, any drug company or other group that wants to get a new drug approved for this use in animals can get a lot of benefits, such as grants, user fee waivers, exclusive marketing rights, and the chance to get conditional approval.
BEST NATURAL TREATMENTS TOTHE DEADLY BLACKHEAD DISEASE IN TURKEYS AND CHICKENS
FAQ
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