The risk of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli associated with the consumption of fresh camel milk in Qatar

Campylobacter spp. are among the ten top leading causes of foodborne diseases around the world and are capable of triggering severe gastroenteritis with potential for severe sequelae. Fresh camel milk is one of the most common hospitality gestures among certain cultures. We investigated the potential risk of illness from the consumption of camel milk contaminated with Campylobacter spp. in Qatar and identified critical intervention points that would contribute to mitigating its consequences. Quantitative risk assessment (QRA) methodology with a combination of deterministic and stochastic approaches was employed to address this objective. Data on the likelihood of either C. jejuni or C. coli in camel milk or in humans was obtained through repeat cross-sectional studies in these populations in Qatar. Estimates of the adverse health effects were computed using risk characterization which integrated data on the hazard, the probability of exposure, and dose-response models. Our analyses showed that the probability of illness for a healthy female from the consumption of camel milk contaminated with C. jejuni ranged from 5 x 10-3 to 24 x 10-2 depending on the amount of milk consumed. The risk of illness for males was higher (13 x 10-3 to 30 x 10-2). The estimates of illness were three times higher for immunocompromised females in comparison to healthy females. Immunocompromised males had a five-times higher risk of illness in comparison to healthy men. The computed risk of illness from consumption of camel milk contaminated with either C. jejuni or C. coli could be significantly mitigated by increasing the efficacy of sterilizing or pasteurization before serving.