# Are there goat diseases that can be passed through milk to humans?



## mama2cntrykids (Jan 1, 2013)

If so, what are they?


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## lottsagoats (Dec 10, 2012)

TB, listeria, staph (from mastitis), ecoli, and several more I have forgotten (I am at work and unable to access my stuff at home) since my briad shuts down when I am at work.


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## mama2cntrykids (Jan 1, 2013)

lottsagoats said:


> TB, listeria, staph (from mastitis), ecoli, and several more I have forgotten (I am at work and unable to access my stuff at home) since my briad shuts down when I am at work.


So, would you vaccinate for those and then test later to be sure, or ??? I'm new to everything and want to make sure that my family gets healthy milk when the time comes.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

You can test for those things but there are no vaccinations. Understand that each test is a separate charge.


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## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

Most of having healthy milk is just having healthy, clean goats. As long as you clean the udder before milking, keep your barn area clean and keep the goat living area clean you shouldn't have a problem.


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

I always sit and wonder about Johne's and Crohn's disease relation. Honestly I feel there is a relation but nevertheless. I try not drink positive milk.


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## upthecreek (Jan 6, 2013)

*comparisons*

I've been wondering about scrapie in goats and parkinsons in humans as they both sound similar to each other . Now its been a while since i looked and made the comparison but if i remember correctly there looks to be a connection .
Any comment on this would be appreciated .



mjs500doo said:


> I always sit and wonder about Johne's and Crohn's disease relation. Honestly I feel there is a relation but nevertheless. I try not drink positive milk.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

I agree with ptgoats45..healthy goats and healthy milking practices equal healthy milk...and test your goats annually ....


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## AmyBoogie (May 20, 2013)

I've seen speculation in forums of connection between almost all the major goat diseases to some kind of human disease. To which these links have not been tested. I know people with Crohns that have never even looked at a goat. Not saying that something in a goat's milk couldn't possibly trigger the disease in some but linking it without proof is not something I'm not prepared to back up. The linking of random diseases and our goats is what will cause the media to freak out if goats ever get popular and will end up with public hysteria and likely a bunch of good goats getting euthanized. Do we want mad cow on our hands in the goat world?

I agree with the other ladies that happy healthy goats living in a clean environment and milking with clean smart practices is the way to go. Heat cure or pasturize the milk if it makes you feel more comfortable. 

Test for the big ones TB, CAE, Johnes, Brucellosis (are their tests for Ecolli and listerosis?) And mastitis, use a strip cup when milking and know your goats.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Yes you can test for ecoli. I would assume there is one for listeriosis. 


If it makes you feel better to test for everything, then you should do it. But it can get expensive. Each test for each disease will be a separate charge and TB test will be 2 farm calls or vet visits.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Testing is good but thats why you should pasteurize any drinking milk. Here is a pretty good read on it. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/*Pasteurization
**
Ef*fectively it reads. While low quality control with pasteurization still results in about 92% effectiveness. There are quite a number or things you need to do if you are planning on drinking raw milk. Things like shaving udders, washing the udder before you milk, if hand milking you want to get the certified lid for your milking pail to keep out as much hair and dirt as possible. A milk filter is good but you will still see dirt and debris in the bottom of milk contains if you dont use a certified filter system or something like it. Granted this is all things you can do to ensure you are safe. Here, I make mozzarella outta non pasteurized milk all the time and take a swig of non pasteurized milk outta a jug quite often. I know that our quality and milking methods are good so I dont worry to much about it.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

we drink raw non pasteurized milk here..have for 8 years with no ill effect... pasteurizing kills all that is good about raw goats milk...there are arguments that go both ways..its not a whose right, whose wrong...its about choosing what is best for your family...for us raw is better...we practice clean milking, use milk filter to strain..keep our girls in good health and on a healthy diet. IMO, you have more risk drinking store bought milk with all the hormones and antibiotics they use, not to mention the condition the animals are kept in..More risk in eating the meats we buy in the grocery, the eggs, a bag of spinach...Know how your food is grown, whether its meat, veggies, fruit or milk...you be in charge for your family...Very best wishes


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## mama2cntrykids (Jan 1, 2013)

Thank you everyone! I had planned on testing for CAE when they're older. So, looks like there are a couple of others that I will have tested for too. I know the man that I got them from had just vaccinated for CD/T the day that I bought them.


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