At least 60 people in Beltar VDC, have contracted rabies after sipping “panchamrit” made of milk from a cow bitten by a mad dog, the Kathmandu Post said Wednesday.

Villagers sipped the “panchamrit” prepared from a cow belonging to Surya Bahadur Nepali of Bhukte village at a religious function recently, the daily said.

“The disease was transmitted to the people, as panchamrit is normally sipped without boiling,” the daily quoted Keshav Adhikari, a health assistant, as saying.