Evidence of udder excretion ofCampylobacter jejunias the cause of milk-borne campylobacter outbreak

Abstract

SUMMARY: We describe a community outbreak of campylobacter enteritis associated with the consumption of untreated milk, apparently contaminated by two cows with campylobacter mastitis. The outbreak occurred in two phases. Strains ofCampylobacter jejuniof the Penner serogroup complex 4, 13, 16, 50 and Preston biotype code 6100 were isolated from patients in both episodes and from the faeces of the cattle, milk filters, bulk milk and retail milk. Milk samples from two of 40 milking cows were found to containC. jejuni, and the wheys from these two cows had high titres of antibody toC. jejunidetected by ELISA techniques.