Milk borne diseases

Milk borne diseases are any diseases caused by consumption of milk or dairy products infected or contaminated by pathogens. Milk borne diseases are one of the recurrent foodborne illnesses—between 1993 and 2012 over 120 outbreaks related to raw milk were recorded in the US with approximately 1,900 illnesses and 140 hospitalisations.^[1] With rich nutrients essential for growth and development such as proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and vitamins in milk, pathogenic microorganisms are well nourished and are capable of rapid cell division and extensive population growth in this favourable environment. Common pathogens include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites and among them, bacterial infection is the leading cause of milk borne diseases.^[2][3]

Despite the popularity of pasteurisation in modern days, the risk of contamination cannot be eliminated. Infection can turn milk into an optimal vehicle of disease transmission by contamination in dairy farms, cross-contamination in milk processing plants, and post-pasteurisation recontamination.^[4]

Symptoms of milk borne diseases depend on the amount of pathogen ingestion, time of pathogen incubation, and individual variation like patient's susceptibility, age, and pre-existing medical conditions.^[5] Generally, milk borne diseases are not life-threatening, and taking medications like antibiotics and over-the-counter drugs helps relieve symptoms. Typical clinical signs are fever and mild gastrointestinal disturbance including diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Nevertheless, severe complications can be fatal and are often observed in young children, aged individuals and immunocompromised patients.^{[citation needed]}