The problem of milk-borne disease is so closely linked to infections amongst domestic animals that a brief account of certain review papers and new books on animal diseases is essential. Jezeski (l) has discussed particular aspects of the microbiology of dairy products, and one section of this paper deals with recent work which has been done on pasteurization and the thermal destruction of certain pathogens such as Coxiella burnetti, Brucella abortus and Escherichia coli. He has emphasized the difficulties which prevent clear-cut conclusions on the problem, and has suggested that naturally infected milk should be employed in the experiments rather than milk which has been contaminated with bacteria and viruses which have been cultured in the laboratory. Southwood (2), in a conspectus of some clinical and preventive aspects of zoonoses in Australia, has noted that many of the vague illnesses and fevers occurring in human beings may have as their original source an animal host. Brucellosis, leptospirosis, rickettsial and virus diseases, in particular, are often transmitted to man from domestic animals. In a review of disease in dairy cattle, Blackburn (3) has discussed mastitis and contagious abortion in great detail. So far as mastitis is concerned Streptococcus agalactiae has little association with disease in human beings, but in quite a number of outbreaks of staphylococcal food poisoning the original source must be the cow's udder. In the section of the paper on contagious abortion he has discussed very fully the diagnosis and bacteriology of the disease, and the methods employed in vaccinating cows against it. Chalmers (4), in the fourth edition of his book on bacteria in relation to the milk supply, has dealt with the pathogenic organisms transmissible to man through milk and dairy products under (a) organisms originating in the cow, and (b) those originating from persons handling the milk. He has called attention to the fact that the Milk and Dairies Regulations 1949 to 1953 and the Milk and Dairies (Scotland) Act, 1914, prohibit the sale of or use of milk known to be infected or suspected of being infected with the organisms of a notifiable or bovine disease until it has been treated in a manner satisfactory to the Medical Officer of Health. Furthermore, the Brucellosis melitensis Order 1940 has empowered the authorities to slaughter animals infected with Br. melitensis. Davies (5) gave an account of the annual scientific conference organized by the East African Medical Research Scientific Advisory Committee held at Kampala, Uganda. The conference was concerned with the interrelationship of disease in animals and man, and the symposia on bacterial infections, protozoal infections, and virus diseases showed how intricate these relationships can be. The reports of the Chief Medical Officer of the Ministry of Health (6,7) and the Public Health Laboratory Service (8,9) summarize the occurrences of food-poisoning outbreaks in England and Wales associated with all types of food vehicles. From these, the particul...
