The Department of Livestock Development (DLD) is looking into whether milk from a sick goat could be behind a 12-year-old boy being infected with Brucellosis, also known as "undulant fever".
DLD deputy chief Sorawit Thaneeto along with a team of veterinarians and health workers inspected goat farms in the Hua Mark area in Bang Kapi district yesterday to check whether livestock there were infected with Brucellosis.
Officials collected blood samples from around 40 goats at several farms in the area, Mr Sorawit said.
The move came after a 12-year-old boy who lives in the Hua Mark area tested positive for Brucellosis.
DLD chief Ayut Harintranon said health officials interviewed the boy's family and were told he may have drunk unpasteurised milk from an infected goat.
Mr Ayut said Brucella bacteria can also infect other livestock and dogs. Brucellosis infection can cause pregnant livestock to have miscarriages or be born prematurely.
The disease can spread to humans through contact with infected meat or the placenta of infected animals or drinking unpasteurised milk, he said.
People infected with Brucellosis usually develop a fever, accompanied by a headache and pains in the muscles and joints.
Mr Ayut said he had ordered veterinarians to educate farmers about the disease and how to prevent its transmission. He said farmers should check their livestock regularly to prevent any infection.
He also urged farmers to isolate infected animals and keep them in quarantined areas.
Basic sanitation would help protect animals, Mr Ayut said.