Major milk transmitted zoonoses. Update

Abstract

Some infections as Brucelosis and Zoonotic Tuberculosis are systemic diseases known since their first description as classical zoonoses transmissible to man by milk and milk products. However, outbreaks of food borne Listeriosis were recently described and are considered as an emerging zoonosis. In the group of food borne gastro-enteritis, the food poisoning due to Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin is a classical zoonosis and the intoxication caused by Bacillus cereus and infection by Campylobacter jejuni are emerging ones. In the case of Campylobacter jejuni infection, the signs of gastroenteritis could be followed jointly by neurological complications. The number of human cases of food borne intoxication provoked by Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin and transmitted by milk and milk products is variable according to the country and region, but higher values could be achieved as it was observed in France, mainly due to cheese consumption. Food poisoning caused by Bacillus cereus toxins can present two forms of manifestation: emetic and diarrheic, as the bacteria produce spores under special growth conditions at low temperatures, and could survive to almost all of the treatments applied to milk and milk products. Yet the outbreaks of food borne listeriosis have not been found in Brazil, its occurrence in developed countries brings importance for the surveillance of this form of the disease by the Brazilian public health services, mainly by establishing the control measures that can block the contamination of milk after pasteurization. The Brazilian National Control and Eradication Program Against Brucellosis and Tuberculosis will contribute for the reduction in the number of cases of these diseases in dairy farms and also in human beings.