Indian Journal of Comparative Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases

An investigation was carried out to assess the microbial quality of raw milk available for human consumption in the markets of Kamrup, Barpeta and Sonitpur districts of the state of Assam. A total of 80 pooled milk samples were collected from medium/small traders and vendors of the three districts. All the samples showed positive isolation of one or more bacteria. E. coli was isolated from 70 (87.5%) samples, of which none belonged to serotype O157. Out of the other isolates, 27 (33.75%) were confirmed as Clostridium perfringens, 6 (7.5%) as Staphylococcus aureus and 4 (5%) as Bacillus cereus.Salmonella, Campylobacter and Brucella. organisms could not be isolated from the samples tested. These findings shed light on the potential risks associated with raw milk consumption and the necessity of strict preventive measures to avoid contamination of milk at various stages of production.