Junella Ang - Camel milk gives two people rare illness

Two Singaporeans came back after holidaying in Saudi Arabia with an exotic souvenir they had not bargained for - a rare illness called brucellosis. It is caused by a type of bacteria - brucella . It landed them in hospital for three weeks with a fever that just would not go away. The cause of their illness has been identified as the fresh, but bricella-laced, camel milk they drank while on seperate tours after they had performed the Muslin pilgrimage to Mecca last December. People usually catch the illness after consuming unpasteurised milk or diary products from infected cows, goats, sheep, and camels. Areas considered high-risk include South and Central America, Eastern Europe, the middle East and Central Asia.


Personal View : The public should stay away from consuming unpasteurised milk and diary products, raw meat and animal organs, especially when they are in high-risk areas. Travellers who have returned from these areas and eaten such items should look out for symptoms and see a doctor it they become unwell.