Presence of Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., and Listeria spp. in Different Animal Species Raw Milk in Diyarbakır Province

Contamination of raw or unpasteurized milk with zoonotic pathogens can seriously affect public health. In this study, milk samples were collec- ted from sheep/goat and bovine farms in Diyarbakır province engaged in home breeding to investigate the prevalence of pathogens in raw milk. A total of 253 raw milk samples from bulk milk tanks belonging to 58 cows, 72 buffaloes, 48 sheep, and 75 goats were analyzed by conventional and mole- cular methods. All milk samples were negative for Salmonella spp. through both methods. Campylobacter spp. could not be isolated, but the poly- merase chain reaction analysis found that 26 (10.28%) of the milk samp- les were contaminated with Campylobacter spp. However, Campylobacter jejuni was not detected in any of the samples. The prevalence of Listeria spp. was 2.77%. Listeria spp. was detected in raw milk from cows, buffa- loes, and goats, but not in milk from sheep. While Listeria monocytogenes was not detected in any of the milk samples analyzed, the isolated strains were defined as Listeria innocua, Listeria welshimeri, and Listeria grayi. It was concluded that compared to reports from other countries, the prevalence of pathogens was low. Still, raw milk consumption poses a potential risk to public health, more so, as some of the pathogenic bacteria can survive and multiply even at low temperatures.

Cite this article as: Sever, N. K., & Alp, S. Y. (2023). Presence of Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., and Listeria spp. in different animal species raw milk in Diyarbakır province. Acta Veterinaria Eurasia, 49(2), 113-118.