World’s oldest cheese contained infectious bacteria

Gram-negative pleomorphic bacteria which cause brucellosis in cattle and humans and are transmitted to man by direct contact with ill animal or by contaminated milk

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3000-year-old cheese found in ancient Egyptian tomb was infected with brucellosis

A solidified white mass found in a broken jar in an Egyptian tomb dating back more than 3000 years turned out to be the most mature cheese ever found. Protein analysis revealed that it was contaminated with Brucella melitensis, a highly infectious bacterium causing a flu-like disease.