title: A search for the source of Campylobacter jejuni in milk.
abstract: Samples of milk from 1501 cows with mastitis were negative for Campylobacter jejuni. The faeces of 74 healthy Friesian cows were screened for C. jejuni: 13% of the samples were positive during the summer when the cows were on pasture, and 51% were positive in the winter when the cows were housed. Positive samples contained on average 1 X 10(4) campylobacters per g faeces. It is concluded that faecal contamination rather than udder infection is the means by which campylobacters enter milk and thereby infect man.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary; D002168:Campylobacter fetus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002417:Cattle; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008414:Mastitis, Bovine / Q000382:microbiology; D008892:Milk / Q000382:microbiology*; D012621:Seasons