The objective of this study was to investigate the presence of anti-Brucella antibody and Brucella spp. DNA in cow, sheep and goat milk and in Urfa cheese collected from markets and bazaars in Şanlıurfa, located in southeast of Turkey. A total of 258 samples consisting of 178 raw milk (48 cow milk, 65 sheep milk and 65 goat milk) samples and 80 Urfa cheese samples were investigated. Anti-Brucella antibody was detected by indirect ELISA (i-ELISA), and the presence of Brucella spp. DNA was screened by real time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). 16.6% of the cow, 6.1% of the goat and 6.1% of the sheep milk and 16.25% of the cheese samples were found as positive for brucella antibodies by i-ELISA. The RT-PCR assay amplified Brucella DNA from 18.75, 7.6 and 6.1% cow, goat and sheep milk samples respectively. Brucella DNA was amplified from 22.5% cheese samples. The 11.2% and 13.9% of the samples were found as positive by i-ELISA and RT-PCR respectively. This study indicates that milk and milk products consumed in Şanlıurfa poses a risk to public health in terms of brucellosis. The combining usage of both i-ELISA and RT-PCR methods could lead to more reliable results to detect anti-Brucella antibody and Brucella spp. DNA from milk and cheese samples.

Key words: Brucella, Cheese, I-ELISA, Milk, PCR