Karamojong men scooping raw blood after slaughtering the bull. The consumption of raw meat, raw blood, is exposing the communities to brucellosis, a highly contagious infection caused by the bacterial genus Brucella.Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Health officials in the Karamoja sub-region are struggling to treat and contain the spread of brucellosis, a zoonotic disease that affects both humans and livestock.
The disease poses a serious threat to public health and economic stability in the predominantly pastoralist community, where livestock rearing is the main source of livelihood.Brucellosis spreads through the consumption of contaminated food, undercooked or raw meat, and unpasteurized milk from infected animals. It can affect various parts of the body, including the reproductive system, liver, heart, and central nervous system, presenting symptoms such as fever, loss of appetite, weakness, fatigue, joint and muscle pain, back pain, and headaches.
Health officials are particularly concerned that some community members continue consuming raw blood and meat as part of their traditional diet, further fueling the spread of the disease. According to Christopher Ocheng, an internal medicine physician at Moroto Regional Referral Hospital, brucellosis remains a major challenge in Karamoja.However, diagnosing the disease is complicated, as there is no comprehensive study to differentiate between actual infections and exposure to the bacteria.
“We have a challenge establishing .