Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1913-10-24
5()|L GOATS MILK.
Facts of Practical Interest 10 An
Who Raise Goats.
Malta Fever Is Transmitted by Aci-
mails Milk, and Has Affected Fam
iIies on Goat Ranches In Texs3
and New Mexico.

Washington.--Scien of the bu-
reau OF animal industry have COM
piled a bulletin which is Of practical
interest to all who raise goats and TO
such invalids as have been prescribed
goats milk as diet.
Proofs have conclusiVely establish
ed that the transmission of a fever
known vartously as Malta. noun
tain" SLOW typhoid" or by certain
other designations, to man. Is accom-
plished by the milk Of infected goats.
Careful observation in Texas and
New Mexico show that the disease has
always made its appearance among
people connected with goat rails
ing. Entire families have been
taken sick with it on goat ranches.
The sickness appears usually after the
kidding season, during the months Of
April, May and June, when the peo-
pie are in closer contact with the
goats
Observations have also shown that
just over the border in Mexico goat
herders are not nearly SO liable to the
disease. Conclusions have been drawn
that this is not due to any natural
immunity but to the fact that the
Mexicans always boil the milk before
drinking it, while the Americans use
1t raw.
The general opinion has prevailed
that the United States is free from
Malta fever, and that the disease has
only occurred through importations.
However, it now seems evident that
the Malta fever has existed in Texas
and New Mexico for at least rs
years. The fever takes it's name
from Great Britain's island in the
Mediterranean, where the disease has
been exceedingly prevalent among
British soldiers and sailors. Its &C.
currence in tropical and subtropical
localities has been noted in almost
every country A number of cases
have been reported among our sol
diers who had just returned from the
Philippine islands.
PasteuriZation Of infected milk for
20 minutes at las degrees Fahrenheit
which transmits the disease. There
fore, milk pasteurization for the de-
struction Of typhoid and tuberculosis
germs will also be free from Malta fe-
yer germ.
The symptoms of human beings are
MORE or less severe affection. The
most striking symptom is an attack
of fever with periods of normal tenn
peratures. The duration of these Pc
RODS varies considerably during the
disease. The fever may be remittent
~ high or low, and at all stages OF
the disease the type of the fever may
change. It may be very acute from
the onset, the fever setting in with
chills and rise of temperature asso-
ciated with severe headache and pain
in the back, and a general i'll feeling
The pulse and respirations are gen.
orally affected in accordance with the
height OF the fever. The course of
the disease may extend for from six
weeks up to year, and cases have
even been observed In which relapses
have occurred for three years. In
human beings the mortality Is esti-
mated at three per cent
In animals the course of the disease
always appears to be protracted Cases
have beer noaed in goats that extend
over a period of more than a year.
The prognosis in animals is always
favorable as far as the health is con-
cerned. But although the disease has
no active effect on goats, its eradica-
tion must be considered for the public
health, and 1T is particularly important
since there has been a tendency re-
Gently among physicians to advise the
drinking Of goats milk for children
and inYalids.