Molecular detection of pathogenic bacteria in bovine milk samples collected from local vendors in Jabalpur

Abstract

Milk provides essential nutrients for growth but also serves as a medium for various microbial growth. The milk gets contaminated with some pathogenic microbes, either from infected udder or due to poor milking practices like uncleaned udder and teat, unhygienic hands, uncleaned milk containers, improper sanitation of milking equipment, contaminated water source etc. The pathogenic microbes that contaminate milk Poses serious threats to public health and produce milk-borne diseases. It is essential to study the quality of milk supplied by the local vendors to avoid outbreaks of any food-borne illness. Identification of pathogens in milk samples is one of the important quality parameters. Conventional detection methods like bacterial culture and microscopy are time-consuming and less accurate. Molecular techniques like polymerase chain reaction offers rapid detection of pathogens with high sensitivity and specificity. This study utilized polymerase chain reaction to detect the presence of Staphylococcus aureus, Brucella spp., and Escherichia coli in milk samples collected from vendors in Jabalpur, India. A total of 40 samples were analyzed and results showed contamination rates of 37.5% for Staphylococcus aureus, 7.5% for Brucella spp., and 15% for Escherichia coli. The findings underscore the importance of implementing proper hygiene measures and routine microbial surveillance in dairy practices to ensure public health safety and to prevent the development of foodborne illnesses due to contaminated pathogenic microorganisms.