Which process eliminated the spread of bovine tuberculosis in people by breaking its transmission cycle?

Which process eliminated the spread of bovine tuberculosis in people by breaking its transmission cycle?

• A. Fermentation
• B. Pasteurization
• C. Centrifugation
• D. Ultraviolet treatment

Answer: (B)

Breaking the transmission of bovine tuberculosis through milk depends on inactivating the pathogen in the milk before it reaches people. Pasteurization does exactly that by applying controlled heat to milk to kill Mycobacterium bovis, the bacteria that can cause TB in humans when ingested in unpasteurized dairy. This heat treatment reduces the microbial load in milk, so even if a cow carries bovine TB, the milk from that cow is far less likely to transmit the disease after pasteurization. Fermentation changes the milk’s environment but does not reliably kill TB bacteria. Centrifugation merely separates components and doesn’t inactivate pathogens. Ultraviolet treatment can inactivate some microbes, but milk’s opacity and fat content make UV penetration ineffective for thorough pasteurization, so it isn’t the standard method for preventing TB transmission in dairy. So, pasteurization is the process that eliminated the spread by breaking the transmission cycle from cattle to humans through milk.

Breaking the transmission of bovine tuberculosis through milk depends on inactivating the pathogen in the milk before it reaches people. Pasteurization does exactly that by applying controlled heat to milk to kill Mycobacterium bovis, the bacteria that can cause TB in humans when ingested in unpasteurized dairy.

This heat treatment reduces the microbial load in milk, so even if a cow carries bovine TB, the milk from that cow is far less likely to transmit the disease after pasteurization. Fermentation changes the milk’s environment but does not reliably kill TB bacteria. Centrifugation merely separates components and doesn’t inactivate pathogens. Ultraviolet treatment can inactivate some microbes, but milk’s opacity and fat content make UV penetration ineffective for thorough pasteurization, so it isn’t the standard method for preventing TB transmission in dairy.

So, pasteurization is the process that eliminated the spread by breaking the transmission cycle from cattle to humans through milk.