Milk borne disease

Milk borne diseases may be originated from the cattle or from the man handling milk. It is of two types: –

1. Disease of bovine origin: –

• The diseases that are originated from the cattle include tuberculosis, mastitis, undulant fever, and foot and mouth disease.
• The organism responsible for bovine tuberculosis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis var. bovis tuberculosis.
• Adult are not very susceptible to infection by this organism, but children under five years of age are very susceptible to infection by this organism.

a. Mastitis:

• Mastitis refers to an infection of the udder and may be caused by a number of organisms, the most common being Streptococcus agataclia.
• It may cause inflammation of the udder.
• If mastitis is sever, pus and blood may appear in the milk.
• Milk containing large number of pus and blood cells must be regarded unfit for human consumption.

b. Undulant fever, Malta fever or Brucellosis:

• It is caused by Brucella abortus.
• This organism causes contagious abortion in cow and may also have some effect in mares, sheep, rabbits and guinea pigs.
• All the three species are pathogenic to man and may cause disease in man from drinking raw milk from diseased animals.

c. Foot and Mouth Disease:

• It is caused by Virus.
• Infection may be transmitted through feeding and drinking troughs.

2. Disease of human origin: –

• The disease of human origin which may be carried through milk are: typhoid fever, scarlet fever, diphtheria, septic soar-throat, infantile diarrhoea and infantile paralysis.
• The infection may be carried through the milk from the handling of milk by contaminated persons from

a) Droplets expelled during coughing, sneezing and talking,

b) By moistening the hands with saliva during wet milking and in other in sanitary practices.

• Typhoid epidemics are also traced to the consumption of infected ice cream, cheese, and butter.
• Scarlet fever and septic soar-throat are also spread through contaminated milk.