Food Safety Net

Penang is conducting checks on goat milk suppliers and has culled 98 of the animals after a seven-year-old boy became the first person to be infected with brucellosis.

Brucellosis is caused by the Brucella bacteria and is a disease mainly found in cattle, swine, goats and sheep.

The boy fell sick after drinking raw goat’s milk. He was admitted to a private hospital after coming down with fever on April 24, said state exco member Phee Boon Poh.

He was transferred to the Penang Hospital several days later after failing to respond to the antibiotics given.

Also called Bang’s disease, or undulant fever, brucellosis is a highly contagious disease caused by ingestion of unsterilised milk or meat from infected animals, or close contact with their secretions.

It causes flu-like symptoms, muscle pain and swollen glands, and can result in complications like bone and joint lesions, encephalitis, meningitis and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Phee said that following the incident, the state Veterinary Services Department began conducting checks on milk suppliers.

“We hope suppliers from Kulim, Kuala Ketil and Lunas will heed the department’s advice to prevent the spread of the disease,” he said.

Phee said the department had so far tested 3,243 serum samples of goats from 11 farms in the state.

“Ninety-eight of the goats were culled after the test results came in positive,” he said.

He said the owners of the culled goats were paid compensation of RM5.60 per kilo.

Phee advised the public to boil milk before drinking. He also urged those selling mutton, including for the coming fasting month, to ensure the meat was free from the disease.

“An awareness campaign will be held on July 27 by the various government departments and the municipal councils,” he said.