What product can transmit Coxiella burnetii?

• A. Boiled milk
• B. Water
• C. Soil
• D. Raw milk

Answer: (D)

Coxiella burnetii is shed in the milk of infected animals and can remain viable in unpasteurized dairy products. Drinking raw milk provides a direct route for the bacteria to enter the body and cause infection. Heating milk, as in boiling or pasteurization, kills the organism, so boiled milk is not a transmission risk. Water or soil can be contaminated in some settings, but the most direct product that can transmit the bacterium to humans is raw milk.