Abstract
One of the main concerns in human milk banks (HMB) is the transmission of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) that could be present in the milk of infected women. There are consistent data showing that this virus is destroyed by Holder pasteurization (62.5°C for 30 min), but there is a lack of information about the response of the virus to the treatment at lower temperatures in strict HMB conditions. In order to analyze the effectiveness of different temperatures of pasteurization to eliminate HCMV in human milk, a preliminary assay was performed incubating HCMV-spiked raw milk samples from donor mothers at tested temperatures in a PCR thermocycler and the viral infectivity was assayed on cell cultures. No signs of viral replication were observed after treatments at temperatures equal or >53°C for 30, 20, and 10 min, 58°C for 5 min, 59°C for 2 min, and 60°C for 1 min. These data were confirmed in a pasteurizer-like model introducing HCMV-spiked milk in disposable baby bottles. No viral infectivity was detected on cell cultures after heating treatment of milk for 30 min at temperatures from 56 to 60°C. Thus, our results show that by using conventional pasteurization conditions, temperatures in the range of 56–60°C are enough to inactivate HCMV. Consequently, we consider that, in order to provide a higher quality product, the current recommendation to pasteurize both mother's own milk and donated milk at 62.5°C must be re-evaluated.
Highlights
It is widely accepted that breast milk is the optimal source of nutrition for infants [1, 2]
If it is confirmed that human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is destroyed at temperatures lower than that used in Holder pasteurization, as shown in the literature for most infectious agents [16, 17], the possibility of a thermal treatment of donated milk more respectful with its biological components would be possible and this would be beneficial for the receptors
Human milk samples were obtained from the Human Milk Bank of the Città della Salute e della Scienza of Turin, Italy, in 2018
Summary
It is widely accepted that breast milk is the optimal source of nutrition for infants [1, 2]. A simpler and alternative approach would be to optimize the conventional pasteurization technique in such a way that, maintaining the destructive capacity on infectious elements, it retains as much as possible the biological components of human milk. This option has the advantage that it would allow to reuse the pasteurization equipment currently available in most milk banks, without needing to acquire new equipment, by adjusting the temperature. If it is confirmed that HCMV is destroyed at temperatures lower than that used in Holder pasteurization, as shown in the literature for most infectious agents [16, 17], the possibility of a thermal treatment of donated milk more respectful with its biological components would be possible and this would be beneficial for the receptors
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