Sidoarjo – After Brucellosis, an infectious disease responsible for inducing abortion in cattle, was found in several locations, Sidoarjo District Agriculture, Livestock and Plantation (ALP) Services conducted investigations on several farmers in Sidoarjo.

Blood samples were drawn from several cattle owned by residents to be tested at Wates Jogjakarta Disease Investigation Center laboratory.

Head of the Livestock Division of ALP Services, Dr. Bambang Erwanto, said the disease was discovered after the office conducted an unscheduled investigation in June 2014. “Laboratory tests will be conducted on cattle feed and dung,” he said on Thursday (4/3/2015).

Bambang said Brucellosis should be suspected when 6 months-pregnant cows suddenly start to abort. Besides being infectious to other cattle, Brucellosis could also be transmitted to humans through the consumption of infected milk and meat.

”The most dangerous consequence of consuming Brucella-infected offal is the risk of causing abortion in pregnant women. If consumed by men, it could cause infection in the testicles,” he explained.

Bambang said Brucellosis was found in dairy cows onwed by Umar Amin Krian. From 600 cows, 19 were diagnosed with Brucellosis. “Brucellosis is a a disease in cattle that can be transmitted to humans, or in other words zoonotic,” he said.

Separately, Edy, manager of the dairy farm, denies Umar Amin’s cows were infected by Brucellosis. “Because before the cows were brought over, they were treated with antibiotics first,” he said. (Reporter: M. Ismail)