Can drinking the milk of a rabies-infected cow actually lead to a human getting the disease?

According to major health agencies and medical experts, the chances are extremely slim. The U.S. CDC has noted that while transmission through raw milk is “theoretically possible,” no confirmed human case has ever been traced to this route. The WHO also points out that infectious rabies virus has never been isolated from the milk of rabid cows. India’s own National Centre for Disease Control states clearly that there is no laboratory or epidemiological evidence of rabies spreading through milk or milk products.

Gorakhpur Village in Panic After Milk from Dead Cow Used in Prasad

Ramdeeh village in Gorakhpur district has been gripped by fear for days after a cow that had been providing milk for local religious ceremonies died last Saturday. A veterinarian who examined the animal earlier had suspected it might be suffering from rabies following a dog bite.

Village pradhan Anil Kumar recalled what the veterinarian told residents: “After examining the cow, the doctor said it appeared to have been bitten by a dog and that the rabies infection had spread through its body.”

The vet even sent a video of the cow to a senior colleague, who agreed with the suspicion and warned that the animal would likely not survive. He further advised that anyone who had consumed the cow’s milk should take anti-rabies injections as a precaution.

Only later did the villagers realise the implications: the same milk had been mixed into prasad chana amrit for two puja ceremonies held on October 29 and November 2. “The milk was added to the prasad because it is considered shubh (auspicious),” Anil Kumar said. This discovery caused fear to spread quickly through the community of roughly 3,000 residents.

Mass Rush for Rabies Vaccinations Despite No Proven Transmission Through Milk

As word spread, villagers headed in large numbers to the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Uruwa, even those who had consumed the cow’s milk months ago. The medical officer at the PHC, Dr. Jai Prakash Tiwari, confirmed that about 130 people have already taken the first dose of the anti-rabies vaccine.

“Locals told us that the doctor who examined the cow had advised them to take the rabies vaccine as a precaution, so they are following that advice,” he said.

He emphasised that no one has developed symptoms of rabies and that there is no definitive proof that the cow was even infected, since no laboratory testing was done. When asked about the risks of contracting rabies through milk, Dr. Tiwari noted, “So far, there is no evidence that drinking the milk of such an animal causes rabies. However, it is also not possible to say with complete certainty that it can never happen.”

To address rising fear, the Health Department set up a medical camp in the village to counsel families and explain the actual risks. “We want to explain to them that they should not panic unnecessarily,” Dr. Tiwari said, adding that the PHC maintains a large supply of vaccines due to frequent dog-bite cases in the area.

A Scare Driven More by Fear Than Evidence

Although scientific consensus suggests that rabies transmission through milk especially pasteurised milk is essentially unsupported by evidence, the deadly nature of the disease pushes health workers to recommend caution. That caution, however, quickly turned into a village-wide alarm in Ramdeeh.

The Gorakhpur episode highlights the tension between scientific data, community beliefs, and the fear surrounding a disease known for its near-100% fatality rate once symptoms appear.