Paratuberculosis in cattle and free-living exotic deer

J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1979 Apr 15;174(8):841-3.

Abstract

Paratuberculosis was studied among dairy cows and exotic deer that shared grazing areas at Point Reyes National Seashore, California. Of the 10 dairy herds tested, 5 (50%) were infected with Mycobacterium paratuberculosis (based on results of fecal culture). Mycobacterium paratuberculosis was cultured from 9 (8.7%) of the 103 bovine fecal samples and from 4 (3.9%) of the 103 bovine rectal mucosa scapings tested. Of 89 fecal samples from 52 axis deer (Axis axis) and 37 fallow deer (Dama dama), 5 (9.6%) and 3 (8.1%), respectively, contained M paratuberculosis. Culture of intestinal necropsy samples from the same deer indicated that 3 (5.8%) of the axis deer and 2 (5.4%) of the fallow deer were infected with M paratuberculosis. The cows were tested for serum antibodies by the complement-fixation test and by radioimmunoassay. Of 95 sera tested by complement fixation, 15 (15.8%) were positive, as were 15 (14.7%) of 102 sera tested by radioimmunoassay. Culture results and serologic test results were compared on a herd basis.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • California
  • Cattle
  • Cattle Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Cattle Diseases / microbiology
  • Deer*
  • Feces / microbiology
  • Mycobacterium / isolation & purification
  • Paratuberculosis / epidemiology*
  • Paratuberculosis / microbiology