Cannibalism is the act of consuming another individual of the same species as food. Human cannibalism is rare, often occurring under extreme circumstances. This practice carries significant health implications for the consumer. This article focuses on the biological risks and health consequences associated with ingesting human tissue.
Kuru: The Prion Disease
Kuru is a rare, fatal neurodegenerative disorder that reached epidemic levels among the Fore people of Papua New Guinea. This disease was transmitted through ritualistic endocannibalism, where deceased relatives’ tissues, particularly the brain, were consumed. Prions, which are misfolded proteins, cause Kuru by inducing normal proteins in the brain to also misfold, leading to brain damage.
The incubation period for Kuru can be remarkably long, ranging from 10 to over 50 years after exposure. Once symptoms manifest, the disease progresses rapidly, typically leading to death within 12 months to two years. Initial symptoms include an unsteady gait, difficulty with coordination (ataxia), and tremors.
As Kuru advances, individuals experience slurred speech, involuntary movements, and muscle stiffness. Mood changes and emotional lability, including episodes of uncontrolled laughter, are also common. In the later stages, individuals become unable to walk, sit without support, or swallow, often leading to severe malnutrition and secondary infections such as pneumonia.
Other Infectious Disease Risks
Consuming human flesh presents a range of other infectious disease risks. Bacterial infections are a concern, particularly from decomposing tissue or if general pathogens are present in the consumed individual. These can lead to symptoms such as fever, digestive issues, and localized pain. Necrotizing fasciitis, caused by “flesh-eating bacteria,” is a severe bacterial infection that can rapidly destroy tissue and lead to life-threatening complications.
Viral infections also pose a potential risk. Viruses like hepatitis, HIV, or herpes could theoretically be transmitted if infectious particles are present in the consumed tissues and survive digestion. The symptoms of such infections would vary widely depending on the specific virus, potentially including fever, fatigue, and organ damage.
Parasitic infections represent another risk. Consuming human tissue could spread parasites such as nematodes or tapeworms if the consumed individual was infected. These parasites can cause a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms, malabsorption, and organ damage.
Unique Biological Hazards of Consuming Human Tissue
Consuming human tissue carries distinct and severe risks that differ from eating other animal meats. A primary concern is the lack of a species barrier for human-specific pathogens. When humans consume other humans, they are exposed to pathogens that are already adapted to the human physiological environment, making transmission highly efficient and dangerous. This contrasts with zoonotic diseases, which typically face a species barrier that reduces their ability to infect and cause illness in a new host species.
The human immune system might also react uniquely to the consumption of human proteins. While the digestive system generally breaks down proteins into their constituent amino acids, some larger protein fragments could potentially be absorbed. This could theoretically trigger immune responses, although the extent and specific implications of such reactions are not fully understood. The most profound biological hazard stems from prions, which are uniquely persistent and not easily destroyed by cooking or typical sterilization methods.
Prions, as seen with Kuru, highlight this unique danger because they are misfolded proteins that can convert normal proteins into their abnormal, disease-causing form. This characteristic, combined with their resistance to degradation, means that even if the tissue is cooked, the infectious prions can remain viable and transmit disease, posing a risk that is largely absent when consuming other animal meats where cooking typically inactivates pathogens.