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The Occurrence and Survival of Brucella Abortus in Cheddar and Limburger Cheese^*

College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y.
College of Agriculture, Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y.
Department of Agriculture and Markets, Albany, N. Y.

ABSTRACT

Most dairy products reach consumers after being subjected to a heat treatment sufficient to destroy any pathogenic bacteria that might be present, but there is still much unpasteurized Cheddar cheese made from raw milk. Since such cheese has not been found to cause undulant fever in man, one might reasonably expect that Brucella abortus dies or becomes non-infectious during normal cheese curing. It is known that the dairy cows of the United States are often infected and that infected cows often give milk containing these bacteria. Conditions in the early stages of the manufacture of Cheddar cheese favor bacterial development and the bacteria are concentrated in the fresh curd. Some of the cheese might be infected so the question of the survival of Brucella abortus in Cheddar cheese has public health significance.

This study was undertaken to show the length of time that Brucella abortus survives in Cheddar cheese. First a preliminary survey was made on cheese milk in New York State.

^* This investigation was aided by a grant from the National Cheese Institute and was originally proposed by its research committee.