Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in cow bulk tank milk in Cyprus detected by culture and quantitative IS900 and F57 real-time PCR

Prev Vet Med. 2009 Jun 1;89(3-4):223-6. doi: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2009.02.020. Epub 2009 Apr 5.

Abstract

The possibility that Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) plays some role in the development of Crohn's disease in humans is attracting attention to milk and milk products originating from infected animals. In this study, we focused on the detection of MAP in 220 bulk tank milk (BTM) samples from all dairy cattle herds in Cyprus. In total, 63 (28.6%) BTM milk samples were found to be positive for MAP using quantitative real-time PCR assays for IS900 and F57. The presence of MAP in BTM was low, and was assessed to be several tens of MAP cells per one ml of BTM. Milk samples examined by cultivation were found to be negative for MAP in all 220 BTM. In two BTM samples cultivation and subsequent sequencing of 16S rRNA revealed two isolates of M. fortuitum.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cattle
  • Cattle Diseases / diagnosis
  • Cattle Diseases / transmission
  • Colony Count, Microbial / veterinary*
  • Female
  • Food Contamination / analysis*
  • Greece
  • Humans
  • Mass Screening / veterinary
  • Milk / microbiology*
  • Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis / isolation & purification*
  • Paratuberculosis / diagnosis
  • Paratuberculosis / transmission
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary*
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • RNA, Bacterial / analysis
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / analysis
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Zoonoses

Substances

  • RNA, Bacterial
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S