Human brucellosis caused by raw dairy products: A review on the occurrence, major risk factors and prevention

Despite considerable efforts made to address the issue of brucellosis worldwide, its prevalence in dairy products remains difficult to estimate and represents an important public health issue in many areas of the globe today. This is partly explained by the increasing tendency for consumption of raw dairy products, making the prevention and control of this zoonosis even more critical. This review summarizes reports published since the early 2000s on human brucellosis caused by contaminated dairy products and the systems of evaluation and assessment which are used to improve the diagnosis, surveillance, control and prevention of the disease. For this purpose, five comprehensive electronic databases were investigated and relevant studies were identified for systematic review. The design and quality of the studies revealed notable variation, especially in the methods used for the detection and characterization of Brucella spp. This report provides helpful information about the health risk associated with the consumption of raw milk and relevant preventive strategies.