SFMS Laboratory Practice Test

Brucellosis is a zoonotic infection that can be transmitted to humans through dairy products made from the milk of infected animals. The bacteria Brucella can be shed in the milk, so consuming unpasteurized milk or dairy products derived from it can introduce the pathogen into the body. Pasteurization—heating milk to a high enough temperature for a short time—destroys Brucella, which is why properly processed dairy is much safer. This is why dairy products from infected animals are a confirmed transmission route. While airborne exposure can occur in certain occupational settings and blood transmission can happen in rare situations, those routes are not the typical dairy-related pathway.