Milk Microorganisms Ability to Cause Infection and Diseases, Pathogenic Organisms, Isolated From Milk, Serious Epidemics, Consumption Products

Milk Microorganisms Ability to Cause Infection and Diseases

	Milk Microorganisms Ability to Cause Infection and Diseases - Pathogenic organisms of both bovine and human origin have been isolated from milk. Milk, therefore, can serve as a carrier of diseases. Many serious epidemics were caused by the consumption of such products before this fact was clearly recognized. However, this became less common as milk sanitation has improved and pasteurization is being more widely practised. The disease organisms present in milk may be derived from
(1) diseased animals or (2) persons collecting and handling milk: Thus the danger is due to the inoculum and not to the growth of organisms in the milk. The health of animal is an important factor. Several diseases of cattle including staphylococcal and streptococcal infections, tuberculosis, brucellosis, salmonellosis, Q fever and Foot and mouth disease may be transmitted to man. The organisms causing these diseases may get into the milk either directly from the udder, or indirectly from infected body discharges, which may drop, splash, or be blown into the milk.
Some of the important diseases of human origin that have been transmitted by milk are (1) typhoid fever (2) diphtheria, (3) scarlet fever, (4) dysentery (5) septic sore throat and (6) poliomyelitis. It is also possible for humans to infect animals. For example, mastitis may be caused by a variety of organisms, including Staphylococcus aureus. The infecting organism, in s9me cases, has been traced to humans.