Expert Warns Against Eating Poorly Cooked Meat, Cites Tuberculosis Risk

A veterinary epidemiologist, Dr. Muhammad-Bashir Bolajoko, has raised serious concerns about the health risks of consuming undercooked meat, warning that such practices could expose people to tuberculosis and other zoonotic diseases.

Dr. Bolajoko, who heads the Veterinary Public Health & Preventive Medicine Division at the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Vom, Plateau State, explained during an interview with PUNCH Healthwise that diseases can be transmitted from animals to humans through meat, especially when proper inspection and hygienic handling are not in place.

> “Tuberculosis can be transmitted to humans if infected meat isn’t properly cooked or escapes proper inspection,” he stated.

He emphasized that bovine tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium bovis, is a significant threat. This bacteria is closely related to the one that causes human TB and can infect people through contaminated meat or dairy products. Like human TB, it targets the lungs and airways and can cause symptoms such as persistent coughing, fever, night sweats, weight loss, and abdominal pain.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tuberculosis remains one of the top 10 causes of death globally, and the leading killer from a single infectious agent—even above HIV/AIDS.

Dr. Bolajoko also raised red flags about abattoirs with poor hygiene, noting that unrestricted human movement and unsanitary conditions can further contaminate meat.

> “Abattoirs with high human traffic and poor sanitary practices increase the chances of meat being contaminated, not just from animals, but also from humans who may carry infectious diseases like COVID-19,” he warned.

He noted that illnesses like brucellosis, anthrax, meningitis, typhoid fever, and gastroenteritis are among the other diseases that can be passed to humans from contaminated or undercooked meat.

His concerns echo findings from a 2022 study published in PubMed Central on meat and milk consumption habits among Ethiopian farmers, which also identified a high risk of zoonotic disease transmission due to poor meat hygiene and insufficient awareness.

The authors of that study advocated for improved abattoir standards and behavioural change in how meat is sourced and prepared to curb the spread of such diseases.

Dr. Bolajoko urged Nigerians to **

Source

Punch

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