Contamination of Bovine Milk With Brucella spp.: A Current Public Health Menace in Kurdistan Province of Iran

Background: Brucellosis, a deteriorating zoonotic disease, is very common in most parts of Iran. Consumptionof contaminated milk and dairy products is one of the most significant ways for transmission of the infectionsto human. Since the close rearing of cattle and sheep is practiced in Kurdistan province of Iran, the infection ofcow with non-specific species is not out of mind. The present study aimed to determine the frequency of bovinemilk contamination with zoonotic Brucella spp.Methods: A total of ۲۴۰ milk samples, equally from traditional and industrialized dairy farms, were collectedaseptically. Conventional microbiological method was used for isolation of the bacterium, followed by thegenotypic identification of the isolates. Moreover, direct molecular processing of the samples was carried outfor detection of the bacterial genome. The positive samples were further genotypically assessed to identify thecontamination as Brucella abortus or Brucella melitensis.Results: In general, ۱۶ (۶.۶۶%) and ۱۵ (۶.۲۵%) of the samples were contaminated with Brucella spp. inphenotypic and genotypic methods, respectively. The proportion of contamination with B. abortus and B.melitensis in phenotypic and genotypic methods were ۵% and ۱.۶۶%, and ۵% and ۱.۲۵%, respectively. Theoverall rate of contamination in traditional milk samples was more than industrialized samples.Conclusions: Contamination of bovine milk with Brucella spp. is a serious threat to public health in thestudied region. Continuous vaccination, application of test and slaughter policy, and presumption ofpasteurized milk and dairy products are highly recommended.

Keywords:

Bovine milk , Brucella abortus , Brucella melitensis , Western Iran