Milk
Milk
1990 Study
Survival of Borrelia burgdorferi in Whole Milk, Low Fat Milk, and Skim Milk at 34°C and in Skim Milk at 5°C
GERALDINE M. FARRELL, AHMED E. YOUSEF, and ELMER H. MARTH*
https://jfoodprotection.org/doi/pdf/10.4315/0362-028X-54.7.532
Helpful Hint...
34 degrees Celsius = 93.2 degrees Fahrenheit
5 degrees Celsius = 41 degrees Fahrenheit
QUOTE- "Oral, nasal, or aerosol infection with the spirochete may be possible (21). Laboratory experiments have pro- vided evidence for contact transmission (23). A study by Burgess and Patrican (21) indicated that B. burgdorferi infection can occur via the oral route. It also has been demonstrated that rats and dogs can be infected through consumption of infected organs (33). Sergent (49) reported that a small proportion of guinea pigs that consumed milk of an infected female became infected themselves.
Post et al. (40) noted that a mature cat fed 4 ml of milk from an affected cow, seroconverted from a negative B. burgdorferi antibody titer to a positive titer. In addition, five negative P. leucopus all developed positive titers when inoculated subcutaneously with 0.1 ml of milk or with 0.1 ml of urine from the infected cow. These authors suggested that infectious spirochetes may be transmitted in urine and in milk (40)."
QUOTE- "When the strains of B. burgdorferi in skim milk were stored at 5 + 1°C, numbers decreased, but, in all instances, remained at a detectable level for 46 d. Work with Borrelia persica indicated this organism was viable for 19 d at 4°C and for 7 d at 11 to 15°C (26). Baranton and Saint-Girons (8) reported that B. burgdorferi inoculated into blood, at a 6 level of 10 /ml, remained viable for 60 d, when stored at 4°C."
QUOTE- "It may be concluded from the results reported here that
B. burgdorferi did not grow in whole milk, low fat milk,
protein-fortified skim milk, or skim milk when stored at 34
+ 1°C or in skim milk at 5 + 1°C.
The spirochete, if present 4 at > 10 /ml, may survive for at least 9 d at 34 + 1°C and for at least 46 d at 5 ± 1°C."
Link Here
https://jfoodprotection.org/doi/pdf/10.4315/0362-028X-54.7.532