First molecular detection of Coxiella burnetii in Brazilian artisanal cheese: a neglected food safety hazard in ready-to-eat raw-milk product.

BACKGROUND: Global publications on Q fever have increased after the 2007 epidemic in the Netherlands. However, the epidemiology of Q fever/coxiellosis in Brazil is still poorly understood. Accordingly, there have been few studies investigating the presence of Coxiella burnetii in dairy products around the world, especially in Brazil, where consumption of fresh cheese made from raw-milk is very high. OBJECTIVE: This study was a random survey to assess the prevalence of C. burnetii by PCR in traditional Minas artisanal cheese from the Serro microregion, Brazil, which is manufactured from bovine raw-milk. METHODS: DNA extracted from 53 cheese samples were analyzed by nested PCR with C. burnetii-specific primers and the products confirmed by DNA sequencing. RESULTS: Out of the 53 cheese samples five (9.43%) were C. burnetii DNA-positive, each coming from one of the respective randomly selected manufacturing agroindustries. Based on our results, it is estimated that 1.62 tons/day of ready-to-eat cheese made from raw-milk from a total of 16.2 tons produced daily in the study region are contaminated with C. burnetii. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first report of highly heat-resistant zoonotic pathogen in raw-milk Brazilian artisanal cheese. This food safety hazard has been completely neglected in ready-to-eat raw-milk Brazilian artisanal cheese and could imply potential threats to consumers, since C. burnetii survives in artisanal cheese submitted to long ripening periods. Thus, this work established random and representative baseline prevalence of C. burnetii in this food product in Brazil. Further epidemiological studies, monitoring trends and setting control targets are warranted. Finally, these results point out the importance of including C. burnetii in animal and public health surveillance programs.

First molecular detection of Coxiella burnetii in Brazilian artisanal cheese: a neglected food safety hazard in ready-to-eat raw-milk product

ABSTRACT Background: Global publications on Q fever have increased after the 2007 epidemic in the Netherlands. However, the epidemiology of Q fever/coxiellosis in Brazil is still poorly understood. Accordingly, there have been few studies investigating the presence of Coxiella burnetii in dairy products around the world, especially in Brazil, where consumption of fresh cheese made from raw-milk is very high. Objective: This study was a random survey to assess the prevalence of C. burnetii by PCR in traditional Minas artisanal cheese from the Serro microregion, Brazil, which is manufactured from bovine raw-milk. Methods: DNA extracted from 53 cheese samples were analyzed by nested PCR with C. burnetii-specific primers and the products confirmed by DNA sequencing. Results: Out of the 53 cheese samples five (9.43%) were C. burnetii DNA-positive, each coming from one of the respective randomly selected manufacturing agroindustries.Based on our results, it is estimated that 1.62 tons/day of ready-to-eat cheese made from raw-milk from a total of 16.2 tons produced daily in the study region are contaminated with C. burnetii. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first report of highly heat-resistant zoonotic pathogen in raw-milk Brazilian artisanal cheese. This food safety hazard has been completely neglected in ready-to-eat raw-milk Brazilian artisanal cheese and could imply potential threats to consumers, since C. burnetii survives in artisanal cheese submitted to long ripening periods. Thus, this work established random and representative baseline prevalence of C. burnetii in this food product in Brazil. Further epidemiological studies, monitoring trends and setting control targets are warranted. Finally, these results point out the importance of including C. burnetii in animal and public health surveillance programs.

Fatores associados ao consumo de leite fluido em comunidades limítrofes rural-urbanas / Consumption of liquid milk and factors associated with it in neighboring communities rural-urban

INTRODUÇÃO: O leite é fonte de vários nutrientes importantes para o ser humano, porém o consumo de lácteos no Brasil ainda é baixo. OBJETIVO: Assim, o objetivo deste estudo foi estimar as quantidades de consumo de leite fluido e avaliar os fatores a ele associados em cinco regiões limítrofes rural-urbanas da cidade de Juiz de Fora, MG. MATERIAL E MÉTODO: Foi construído um modelo multivariado para estimar as quantidades de consumo de leite fluido e avaliar os fatores a ele associados. Os dados foram obtidos por meio de entrevista. RESULTADOS: A variável local de residência apresentou associação significativa com o consumo de leite, sendo que os entrevistados que residiam nas localidades de Monte Verde (p=0,058), Humaitá (p=0,023) e Torreões (p=0,012), apresentaram maiores consumos de leite do que aqueles que residiam na localidade de Filgueiras. A idade foi negativamente associada (p<0,001) ao consumo de leite. A renda per capita teve uma associação direta (p<0,001), apresentando um aumento no consumo de 8,880 mL/dia para cada aumento de um salário mínimo na renda. O número de moradores por residência apresentou uma associação inversa, sendo que cada morador a mais na residência impactou numa redução de 0,370 mL/dia. O hábito de fumar também teve uma associação inversa, mostrando que os individuos que não fumavam consumiam, em média, 21,710 mL/dia a mais de leite fluido que os indivíduos que fumavam 10 ou mais cigarros por dia. CONCLUSÃO: o consumo de leite nesta população esteve aquém das recomendações apropriadas para garantir uma média suficiente de cálcio, em especial entre adolescentes e adultos.

INTRODUCTION: The milk is a source of several important nutrients for the human being, but the consumption of dairy products in Brazil is still low. OBJECTIVE: Therefore, the objective of this study was to estimate the quantity of consumption of liquid milk and evaluate the factors associated with it in five regions neighboring rural-urban city of Juiz de Fora, MG. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A multivariate model was constructed to estimate the quantities of consumption of liquid milk and to evaluate the factors associated with it. RESULTS: The data were obtained by means of interview. The variable local of residence showed significant association with the consumption of milk, being that the interviewees who lived in towns of Monte Verde (p=0.058), Humaitá (p=0.023) and Torreões (p=0.012), had higher consumption of milk than those who lived in the locality of Filgueiras. Age was negatively associated (p< 0.001) with the consumption of milk. Per capita income had a direct association (p< 0.001), showing an increase in consumption of 8,880 mL/day for each increase of one minimum wage income. Number of inhabitants per residence showed an inverse association, being that for each homeowner to more in residence impacted in a reduction of 0,370 mL/day. The habit of smoking also had a inverse association, showing that individuals who do not smoked, drank on average, 21,710 mL/day to over milk fluid that those who smoked 10 or more cigarettes per day. CONCLUSION: The consumption of milk in this population was far short of the recommendations, in particular among adolescents and adults.

Prevalência e fatores associados ao consumo de queijo não pasteurizado entre pacientes com tuberculose de uma área urbana do Brasil / Prevalence and associated factors to unpasteurized cheese consumption inpatients with tuberculosis in an urban area of Brazil

No Brasil o consumo de leite cru e derivados lácteos elaborados a partir de leite cru é responsável por 30% da produção total. Um estudo de corte transversal foi realizado para estimar a prevalência e, adicionalmente, avaliar fatores associados ao consumo de queijo feito com leite cru em pacientes com tuberculose na região de Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais. Foram construídos modelos explicativos de regressão linear univariado e multivariado. A taxa de consumo atual de queijo feito com leite cru encontrada foi de 30,7%. A mediana de consumo foi de 279 unidades de queijo feito com leite cru por indivíduo ao longo da vida. As variáveis sexo, idade e ocupação relacionada à pecuária ou agroindústria de alimentos de origem animal apresentaram-se associadas (p 0,05) ao consumo de queijo feito com leite cru. Os resultados reforçam a necessidade de medidas efetivas de controle do comércio de queijo feito com leite cru e de programas de conscientização dos consumidores sobre os riscos de consumo de lácteos elaborados a partir de leite cru, assegurados pelas autoridades de saúde e agricultura. Esse estudo objetivou estimar a prevalência atual ou passada de consumo, bem como as quantidades de ingestão ao longo da vida, de queijo feito com leite cru e os fatores de risco associados a esse consumo.

In Brazil the consumption of unpasteurized milk and dairy products accounted for 30% of total production. A cross-sectional studywas conducted to estimate the prevalence and additionally assess factors associated to unpasteurized cheese consumption inpatients with tuberculosis in the region of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais. Explanatory univariate and multivariate linear regressionmodels were constructed. The current consumption rate of unpasteurized cheese was 43.9%. The median of consumption was279 units of unpasteurized cheese per individual over the lifetime. Sex, age and occupation related to farming or agribusinessof foodstuffs of animal origin, were associated (p ≤ 0.05) to unpasteurized milk consumption. The results reinforce the need foreffective measures to control informal cheese trade, highlighting the need of health and agriculture authorities assure educationalprograms focusing health hazards of drinking raw milk. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of current or past consumption,as well as the amounts of intake throughout life, cheese made with raw milk and the risk factors associated with consumption.

Efeito do tamanho e localização de rebanhos da raça holandesa sobre a contagem de células somáticas do leite / Effect of herd's size and geographical location on somatic cell count of milk from Holstein cows

Oitenta e cinco rebanhos da raça holandesa sob controle oficial de lactação tiveram seus índices de Contagem de Células Somáticas analisados no período de março de 2009 a fevereiro de 2010. As coletas foram realizadas mensalmente durante este período, perfazendo um total de 1.020 amostras. Os rebanhos foram classificados de acordo com a localização geográfica no estado de Minas Gerais e número de vacas em lactação. Os dados de CCS foram transformados para escore linear e, então, as médias comparadas por análise de variância, utilizando-se o programa estatístico SPSS. Em relação à localização do rebanho, não houve diferença significativa quanto à variação da CCS (p>0,05). Quanto a variação de CCS em relação ao tamanho do rebanho, foi observado que aqueles com um número maior de vacas em lactação (de 21 a 40 e acima de 80) tiveram índices menores de CCS (p<0,05) que os com um número menor de vacas em lactação (até 20).