The ongoing drought situation in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands has left the lives of millions and livestock at stake.
Recently, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua came out to help pastoralists sell their emaciated livestock in a bid to help cut the losses.
Even if the pastoralists decided to slaughter this emaciated livestock, they would get very little meat but the meat being so little is not the main concern.
Meat from such emaciated animals is devoid of all glycogens and thus high in PH. Meaning its acidic level is too high, so consuming such meat would be harmful to one's health.
In a hunger situation, the body uses up the stored fats and glycogen in the muscles and fatty areas. An emaciated animal has used up most of its stored fat and glycogen for sustenance, thus the emaciation.
Because all the nutrients have been used to sustain the animal, the meat obtained from such animals has no nutritional value. It can only fill one's stomach.
Sometimes, the hunger situation pushes those living in drought-stricken areas to resort to eating from the carcasses of their animals.
But eating from the carcasses only increases the chances of death as the health impacts are bad.
Kakamega veterinary officer Rukia Maloba, says eating the carcasses of the livestock may actually be unsafe.
"The carcasses are unsafe for consumption as the underlying cause of death may not necessarily be due to lack of water and feeds but diseases," Maloba said.
Maloba points out that "there are diseases which affect both man and animals such as Anthrax and Rift Valley fever. Such diseases are referred to as Zoonotic."
Maloba warned that it is possible to pick up Zoonotic diseases from animals.
"It is one of the main reasons meat inspections are done before consumption, to ensure people are not eating meat full of bacteria," Maloba said.
Doctor John Ngaruiya of Sinai hospital, says eating meat that has already started the decomposition process is harmful as some bacteria produce toxins which cannot be destroyed by baking or cooking even in very high temperatures.
"Bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus produce a toxin that cannot be removed either by baking or boiling," Ngaruiya said.
Usually, the meat starts decomposing six hours after slaughter. This is due to high temperatures.
Ngaruiya says that "the risk of food poisoning does not disappear forever even if you bake, fry, steam, microwave or boil decomposing meat."
He warns that other toxins produced by bacteria such as clostridium deficile which is found in decomposing meat cause diarrhoea, vomiting and eventually lead to dehydration.
Ngaruiya explains that during vomiting and diarrhoea normal floras (good bacteria) in the intestines are washed away. Leaving one with digestive issues.
Thus, one is given artificial normal flora to help restore the good bacteria to the intestines.
" The effects of eating such poisoned meat could be paralysis or even death," Ngaruiya said.
Edited by Tabnacha O
