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Real‐time quantitative PCR‐based detection of Coxiella burnetii in unpasteurized cow's milk sold for human consumption
Author(s) -
Mioni Mateus,
Ribeiro Bruna Letícia Devidé,
Peres Marina Gea,
Teixeira Wanderson Sirley Reis,
Pelícia Vanessa Cristina,
Motta Rodrigo Garcia,
Labruna Marcelo Bahia,
Ribeiro Márcio Garcia,
SidiBoumedine Karim,
Megid Jane
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
zoonoses and public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.87
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1863-2378
pISSN - 1863-1959
DOI - 10.1111/zph.12609
Subject(s) - coxiella burnetii , pasteurization , raw milk , q fever , zoonosis , human health , biology , veterinary medicine , virology , food science , medicine , environmental health
Coxiella burnetii is a zoonotic pathogen with a worldwide distribution that is responsible for Q fever in humans. It is a highly infectious bacterium that can be transmitted from cattle to humans through the consumption of unpasteurized milk. We report the molecular identification of C. burnetii in raw cow's milk being sold directly for human consumption in Brazil without official inspection or pasteurization. One hundred and twelve samples of raw milk were analysed by real‐time quantitative PCR (qPCR), and C. burnetii was detected in 3.57% (4/112) of the samples at a concentration ranging from 125 to 404 bacteria per millilitre. The identification of this zoonotic pathogen in raw milk sold directly for human consumption is a public health concern since C. burnetii can be transmitted through the oral route. This result indicates that health education and other preventive measures should be officially implemented in Brazil to prevent the spread of infection. To our knowledge, this is the first qPCR‐based detection of C. burnetii in raw milk samples from cows sold in Brazil that do not undergo official inspection or pasteurization.