Long-lasting Campylobacter jejuni contamination of milk associated with gastrointestinal illness in a farming family

Abstract

This report describes an outbreak of gastroenteritis of 5 months' duration in a farming family, associated with the consumption of unpasteurized cows' milk, where Campylobacter jejuni was implicated. A total of six individuals in the family acquired the illness, and two had several episodes of diarrhoea within the 5-month period. Identical PFGE genotypes of C. jejuni were isolated from human and bovine faeces, and bulk tank milk samples. Incompletely sealed rubber liners fitted to a milking machine shortly before the outbreak started was the probable reason, allowing faecal material to contaminate the milk over the period concerned.

Fig. 1

Time-course of events of the outbreak from August 2002, showing specific markers associated with the outbreak and its investigation in family members (Family), dairy milk (Milk), cattle faeces (Cattle) and water (Water). For Family, arrows below the line indicate when individuals were symptomatic; arrows above the line show when faecal specimens were collected and if they were positive (+) or negative (−) for campylobacter culture. Bulk milk tank samples A and B were positive (+), while samples C, D, E were negative (−).

Fig. 2

PGFE profiles of KpnI-digested DNA of Campylobacter jejuni. Lanes 1–3, Isolates from bulk tank milk sampled in December 2002 [1, 2] and January 2003 [3]; lanes 4, 5, isolates from family members, 7-year-old [4] and 13-year-old [5]; lanes 6–11, isolates from cattle faeces. MW, Molecular-weight markers.