Milk as a vector of transmission of bovine tuberculosis to humans in Spain: a historical perspective.

As was the case with meat, the detection of the tuberculosis bacterium in cattle resulted in the attribution of an important role to milk in human tuberculosis infection. However, the case of milk had a more serious impact with graver consequences than did meat. In effect, milk was the principal foodstuff by means of which tuberculosis was passed from cattle to humans-indeed it could be said that it was the only effective vector that carried the bovine bacterium to the human organism. In light of this information, this article makes the case that milk acted as the most common means of transmission of bovine tuberculosis to humans, taking particular note of the problem of the hygienic milk supply in Spain.