UNILORIN don warns against raw milk consumption
By Abubakar Abdulquadri and Bashir Dawodu
A lecturer at the Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, University of Ilorin, Dr Mobolaji Musa, has advised women farmers in Nigeria to refrain from consuming cow’s raw milk and other unpasteurised cattle products to reduce the risk of brucellosis transmission.
Dr Musa gave the advice in a research presentation, titled, “Assessment of Practices Enhancing the Prevalence of Brucellosis Among Rural Women Farmers in Kwara State”, a copy of which was made available to UNILORIN Bulletin penultimate Thursday (July 9, 2026).
The researcher also cautioned against the indiscriminate disposal of aborted cattle foetuses and the home treatment of sick cattle, noting that these practices have been identified as major factors contributing to the spread of brucellosis among women livestock farmers.
According to her, brucellosis is regarded by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the World Health Organisation (WHO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) as one of the most widespread zoonotic diseases in the world.
Dr Musa cited the findings of Regea, who observed that brucellosis remains a neglected zoonotic disease in many low-income countries, despite having been eradicated in several developed nations after years of sustained control efforts.
She explained that the disease remains widespread in many developing countries, resulting in significant economic losses to the livestock industry through reduced productivity, frequent abortions in pregnant animals, and other reproductive problems. In humans, brucellosis may lead to chronic illness if left untreated.
The researcher further stated that in Nigeria, where livestock management is still largely traditional, bovine brucellosis remains endemic. She noted that studies have shown that about 60 percent of the human population in some livestock-producing communities exhibit serological evidence of Brucella abortus infection.
She added that the economic losses associated with brucellosis would amount to millions of naira annually if properly estimated, considering the high rate of abortions among pregnant cattle in affected farms.
Dr Musa also highlighted the enormous public health implications of the disease, stressing that protein undernutrition remains a major challenge in Nigeria and that the complete eradication of bovine brucellosis is currently difficult due to inadequate disease control measures.
She emphasised that effective control of the disease is achievable through practical measures that align with the country’s existing social and healthcare systems. Such measures, she said, include maintaining proper hygiene on farms and in abattoirs, avoiding the consumption of raw milk, vaccinating cattle in settled herds, and protecting individuals who are at high risk of infection.
