Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis in fallow deer and wild boar in Spain
The Veterinary Record publish this investigation article
February 12nd, 2005
Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis is the aetiological agent of a chronic granulomatous enteritis in ruminants known as Johne’s disease or paratuberculosis. It is considered to be one of the most serious diseases affecting dairy cattle worldwide, being responsible for significant economic losses (Harris and Barletta 2001). Its clinical relevance is commonly recognised in captive or farmed wild ruminants, but some studies have suggested that wild ruminant populations could also be an important natural reservoir of M avium subspecies paratuberculosis. The pathogen has already been isolated from a number of wild ruminant species, such as red deer (Cervus elaphus), fallow deer (Dama dama) and tule elk (Cervus elaphus nannodes) (Cook and others 1997, Pavlik and others 2000). In Spain, there has been only one study of the presence of the pathogen in free-ranging fallow deer (Marco and others 2002). However, the host range of M avium subspecies paratuberculosis is not limited to ruminants, and it has also been isolated from a wide variety of wild non-ruminant species, such as fox (Vulpes vulpes), stoat (Mustela erminea), weasel (Mustela nivalis), crow (Corvus corone), rook (Corvus frugilegus), jackdaw (Corvus monedula), rat, wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus), rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), hare (Lepus capensis) and badger
(Meles meles) (Beard and others 2001). There have been very few studies on the presence of the pathogen in wild boar (Sus scrofa), and none in Spain, despite the fact this species is known to be a relevant reservoir of another important and related pathogen, Mycobacterium bovis (Aranaz and others 2004). This short communication describes a study to investigate the presence of M avium subspecies paratuberculosis in wild red deer, fallow deer and wild boar in the south and west of Spain
Alvarez J., de Juan L., Briones V., Romero B., Aranaz A., Fernandez-Garayzabal JF. and Mateos A.
 | Departamento de Sanidad Animal. Facultad de Veterinaria. Universidad Complutense (UCM). |
| Servicio de Micobacterias (MYC). Centro de Vigilancia Sanitaria Veterinaria (VISAVET). Universidad Complutense (UCM). |
