Agency finds Toxoplasma bacteria in goat meat<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Are you planning to have goat satay for lunch?
\nYou'd better order it well-done. Otherwise, you might be infected
\nby a disease carried by animals and infectious to humans, the
\ncity's husbandry agency warns.<\/p>\n
The agency found out that goat meat that was not well-cooked
\nmay contain toxoplasma bacteria.<\/p>\n
\"Pregnant women are particularly susceptible to the bacteria
\nwhich can cause miscarriage or birth defects in the unborn,\" head
\nof the agency Edy Setiarto told reporters after a hearing with
\nthe City Council Commission B for economic affairs here on
\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
He said he based his warning on a recent survey which showed
\nthat 42 percent of 500 goats which were tested carried the
\nbacteria.<\/p>\n
Toxoplasma rarely attacks man, he said, adding that goats
\ninfected with the bacteria experienced similar effects to humans.<\/p>\n
The survey which is conducted annually was held in July this
\nyear. It showed that more than 200 out of 500 goats were infected
\nwith toxoplasma. The goats were tested randomly from the city's
\nthree slaughter houses in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, in
\nMampang, South Jakarta and in Pulogadung, East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"However, we will conduct follow-up laboratory tests to
\nachieve more solid results, such as pathology and clinical
\ntests,\" Edy said.<\/p>\n
The July survey applied a serology test on goats' blood serum,
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Asked whether the disease had attacked Jakarta residents, Edy
\nsaid his agency had no data about the number of women who had
\nexperienced miscarriages due to toxoplasma.<\/p>\n
\"I heard that many women who had experienced miscarriages due
\nto toxoplasma, had been treated in the Cipto Mangunkusumo General
\nHospital,\" he said.<\/p>\n
So far, he said, there was no vaccine to prevent toxoplasma.
\nHe called on the public to take extra care in cooking goat's
\nmeat, a favorite food of many Jakartans, saying that it should be
\nwell-cooked.<\/p>\n
\"Do not consume half-cooked goat satay. Toxoplasma could only
\nbe killed by cooking the meat well,\" Edy said.<\/p>\n
He said he knew that it would be difficult to stop people from
\nconsuming under-cooked goat satay since for some people, it had
\nbecome a habit.<\/p>\n
Jakarta residents consumed about 2,500 goats and 400 cows a
\nday.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the hearing, Agus Darmawan, a member of the City
\nCouncil from the National Mandate Party called on the city
\nadministration to monitor the process of slaughtering the goats.<\/p>\n
Origin<\/p>\n
Toxoplasma bacteria comes from cat' feces carried by worms, in
\nleaves and grass. The leaves and grass were then consumed by
\ngoats.<\/p>\n
Besides the survey on goats, Edy said, the agency also tested
\nsome 473 cows and found that some 79 of the cows were infected
\nwith brucellae.<\/p>\n
\"The disease brucellosis could cause miscarriage in cows and
\nfever in human beings,\" he said.<\/p>\n
About 30 of the 79 cows have been killed while the remaining
\n49 cows would be studied further.<\/p>\n
In February this year, the city was shaken by an anthrax
\noutbreak which attacked goats and cows.<\/p>\n
It first broke out in Hambalang village in Bogor, an area
\nabout 60 kilometers to the south of Jakarta. At least two
\nvillagers had reportedly died in the outbreak.<\/p>\n
The husbandry agency once required cattle entering the city to
\nbe vaccinated against anthrax, as a preventive measure,
\nespecially during the Muslim Day of Sacrifice. (jun\/hbk)<\/p>",
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