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Title: Tracking Zoonotic Pathogens in Dairy Production Chains

Author
item Van Kessel, Jo Ann
item Santin-Duran, Monica
item Karns, Jeffrey
item SCHUKKEN, YNTE - Cornell University

Submitted to: Tracing Pathogens in the Food Chain
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/26/2010
Publication Date: 12/10/2010
Citation: Van Kessel, J.S., Santin, M., Karns, J.S., Schukken, Y. 2010. Tracking Zoonotic Pathogens in Dairy Production Chains. In: Brul, S., Fratamico, P.M., and McMeekin, T.A., editors. Tracing Pathogens in the Food Chain. Philadelphia, PA: Woodhead Publishing. p. 503-526.

Interpretive Summary: Dairy farming is a highly productive system producing ample amounts of high-quality milk and meat from fewer cows on less land on fewer, but larger, farms. Despite this consolidation and modernization, zoonotic pathogenic bacteria and protozoans remain problems on the modern dairy farm. Although pasteurization has greatly reduced illness due to contaminated dairy products, post-processing contamination and a consumption of contaminated raw milk continue to cause outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness. Recent detection and characterization methods have shown the relationships between pathogens from cow feces and the surrounding environment and those contaminating milk and meat; however, control of these pathogens on the farm remains difficult.

Technical Abstract: Dairy farming is a highly productive system producing ample amounts of high-quality milk and meat from fewer cows on less land on fewer, but larger, farms. Despite this consolidation and modernization zoonotic pathogenic bacteria and protozoans remain problems on the modern dairy farm. Although pasteurization has greatly reduced illness due to contaminated dairy products, post-processing contamination and an apparent increase in the consumption of raw milk, raw milk products, and meat from dairy cows continues to cause outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness. Recent detection and characterization methods have shown the relationships between pathogens from cow feces and the surrounding environment and those contaminating milk and meat however, control of these pathogens on the farm remains difficult.