GeneThera Overview on MAP Contamination in Milk and Infant Formula: Present Status and How to Improve It
Feb 02, 2015 09:30:00 (ET)
GeneThera Overview on MAP Contamination in Milk and Infant Formula: Present Status and How to Improve It
Molecular Analysis of Mycobacterium Paratuberculosis in Dairy Products and Infant Formula Using Advanced Robotics System
WESTMINSTER, CO--(Marketwired - Feb 2, 2015) - GeneThera Inc (OTC PINK: GTHR) as service to its shareholders and the general public is releasing the following update: over the past few months GeneThera has stepped up its effort to increase general awareness concerning issues related to Mycobacterium Avium Paratuberculosis (MAP) contamination in milk, dairy products and powder infant milk formula.
MAP is the causative agent of Johne's Disease also known as Paratuberculosis. Johne's Disease (JD) is a globally devastating incurable chronic inflammatory intestinal disease of dairy cow, sheep and goats. It has been estimated that over 70% of the dairy cow herds in the US alone are infected with MAP. A large number of studies have shown a relation between JD and Crohn's Disease, a severe and possibly lethal chronic inflammatory disease of the human intestine. Scientific studies have found that 80% of patients with Crohn's are positive for MAP in their intestine. Drinking milk from cows infected with MAP is one of the ways people are exposed to MAP infection. MAP is resistant to standard pasteurization procedures. Several studies have shown that MAP contamination is present in pasteurized milk and other dairy products sold in stores. Even more troublesome, recent studies done at the University of Wisconsin and at the Veterinary Research Institute in the Czech Republic have shown that 56% of the baby formula samples tested from US manufacturers and 35% of baby formula samples tested from EU manufacturers were positive for MAP infection. This data confirms that infants are indeed exposed to a bacterium potentially capable to trigger Crohn's disease.
The risk that MAP contamination of milk and dairy products poses to the general population, particularly children and young adults, can no longer be underestimated. Dairies and baby formula producers need to implement large scale testing programs to control MAP contamination in milk and certify that MAP-free milk is used for baby food production.
However, high-throughput testing to detect MAP contamination in milk presents many technical challenges. Because of the complexity and time consuming procedures of isolating MAP from dairy samples, most laboratories do not have the technical capability to screen thousands of samples daily.
GeneThera has spent several years developing state-of-the-art technology, to test milk products using advanced integrated laboratory robotic platforms that allow the detection of Mycobacterium Paratuberculosis in a very highly sensitive, and fast way. A single integrated robotic system is capable to process over two thousand samples daily with minimum human intervention. This automated platform provides GeneThera with a standardized system that can be serially duplicated, readily deployed, and supported across the globe to meet the growing needs of the worldwide dairy industry. By standardizing on a flexible, easy to use robotic platform, GeneThera will be able to meet its goals of building a global network of labs that will test and communicate results to food producers in real time, improving animal health and food safety.
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