Understanding the Milk Microbiota

Stephanie A Metzger; Laura L Hernandez; Garret Suen; Pamela L Ruegg

doi:10.1016/j.cvfa.2018.06.003

Understanding the Milk Microbiota

Vet Clin North Am Food Anim Pract. 2018 Nov;34(3):427-438. doi: 10.1016/j.cvfa.2018.06.003.

Authors

Stephanie A Metzger¹, Laura L Hernandez², Garret Suen³, Pamela L Ruegg⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1675 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1550 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
² Department of Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1675 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
³ Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1550 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
⁴ Department of Animal Sciences, Michigan State University, 484 S Shaw Lane, E. Lansing, MI 48824, USA. Electronic address: plruegg@msu.edu.

PMID: 30316501
DOI: 10.1016/j.cvfa.2018.06.003

Abstract

The milk microbiota is an intriguing area of research because milk with no bacterial growth in culture was long thought to be sterile. Recent DNA sequencing techniques have been developed that do not require bacteria to be culturable, and DNA from new bacteria have been reported in milk from dairy cow mammary glands with or without mastitis. Methodologies and results vary among research groups, and not enough is known about the milk microbiota for the results to be used for diagnosis or prognosis of mastitis.

Keywords: Mastitis; Milk microbiome; Milk microbiota.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Bacteria / genetics
Bacteria / isolation & purification*
Cattle
Dairying
Female
Mammary Glands, Animal / microbiology
Mastitis, Bovine / microbiology*
Microbiota*
Milk / microbiology*
Sequence Analysis, DNA / veterinary