Dengue cure myth pushes goat milk price to Rs 200/kg

Manmeet Singh Gill
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, September 17

Even as the district has reported only 11 cases of dengue so far, goat milk, which is believed to boost the platelet count, is being sold for Rs200 per litre. Medical experts, however, are of the view that there is no scientific evidence which justifies the belief.

Kawaljit Singh, a resident, said, “My wife is suffering from dengue and people are advising to get goat milk for her. We could get only half a litre for Rs100. It is a tedious job to find a person who has goats. Mostly, members of the ‘sansi’ community have goats and sheep.”

Traditionally, the larger agrarian community considers that keeping a herd of sheep or goat is part of their dignity. Raju Masih, a member of the community, said, “For most of the year, there is no demand for milk. Even the production is not much.”

Interestingly, Raju counted the months during which the dengue virus is active. “At this time of the year, we get many requests for goat milk. As it is not enough for everybody, the prices go up,” he added.

Medical experts say a healthy and nutritious diet helps in increasing the platelet count. “There is no immunisation for the disease and there is no specific antigen for the virus. The disease is treated symptomatically. But, one should increase the intake of fluids and vitamin C,” said Dr Madan Mohan, district epidemiologist.

He said there were rumours that a certain Ayurvedic tablet could prevent dengue or eating papaya leaves, drinking goat milk or eating kiwis could increase the platelet count.

“Even lemon water helps in keeping the body hydrated and provides vitamin C. This year, the number of patients suffering from dengue in the district is much lower than many other districts. The dengue virus gets weak after a decrease in the temperature,” said Dr Madan.