Doctors warn on contaminated meat, milk

Kampala. Uganda Veterinary Association (UVA) has said the meat and milk being sold on the Ugandan market could be highly contaminated with drug residue and toxicity, which puts people’s lives at risk.
Dr Sylvia Anguabua Baluka, the president of the association, on Wednesday said the urge of making money and the thought of incurring losses has forced farmers to sell products of animals that are undergoing medication.
“We do relate with farmers and have talked to them and they share with us. The cost of production is high, feeds are costly and the farmers cannot imagine incurring losses. If the cow is sick, we tell the farmer to milk it and pour the milk thereafter,” Dr Baluka said.
Giving a scientific explanation, Dr Baluka said: “The risk is that there are molecules we are using in animals in veterinary practice which are not any different from the ones that are used in humans. There are different categories but packaged based on our body weight, as you know our body weight is not similar like for example the bull is packaged for certain differences.”
“So because of that if an animal was treated and before it recovers, it still has residues. You eat it, you will be taking in some drug residues into your system and some bacteria in your body will be exposed to sub lethal doses, doses that are not able to kill them and they start developing resistance,” she added.

Drug resistance
She said they are worried about the antimicrobial or drug resistance as humans fail to respond to medication.
“You will find the antibiotics available cannot respond to the human system. For the case of antibiotics, they have lines but you end up using the third line because you have exhausted the rest of the lines, meaning you have no drugs. If you are going to suffer from infections that are untreatable by the drugs that are available on the market then what else? The only option could be going to some pastors for prayers,” Dr Baluka added.
According to UVA, currently the country lacks a mechanism to detect the drug residue in animals before they are taken to the market though the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries is in stages of coming up with such a system.
Some of the drugs that could cause drug resistance include antibiotics such as penicillin and procaine’s acritidea, the tick resistant chemical that affects the milk, among others.
Dr George Otebero, the veterinary officer for Buyende District, said 75 per cent of human diseases originate from animals and therefore, all stakeholders should come together to control them.
“If we are to help human beings, all disease must be controlled at animal level but if you leave it to spill from the animal to human beings then you have caused a catastrophe,” Dr Otebero said.
“ When you vaccinate an animal whether it is used as a pet or food, eventually you know the vaccines will not filter onto the human body but if you went to treat when you are going to eat you will have to feed on the drugs unknowingly,” he added.