Can you get Brucellosis from goat milk?
Yes! One of the highest transmitters of Brucellosis between animal and human is through milk. However, pasturizing milk is done to prevent any harmful bacteria from being consumed, so it typically prevents the spread of Brucellosis, also known as Malta fever in humans. Another way for it to spread from animal to human is through meat (but we're looking at milk for this).
One of the main signs in animals (specifically goats for this) is abortion! If your herd suddenly starts having a lot of abortions, Brucellosis could be a cause. The first symptoms in humans are fever (obviously), headache, fatigue, anorexia, and malaise.
Brucellosis can be fatal, but that happens in less than 2% of (human) cases. If you think you may have Brucellosis, definitely talk to a doctor!
(If you're worried about me and my general bad health, don't worry! I check all of the goats for any signs of disease or injury every morning (part of the job), and everybody is perfectly healthy besides some bloat from the feed we're using at the moment. Additionally, I don't drink unpasturized milk nor have I butchered any goats yet.)
Thank you for the question, and I always encourage you to do your own research!
CDC
Bivatac
