The seroprevalence of Johne's disease in Georgia beef and dairy cull cattle

J Vet Diagn Invest. 2003 Sep;15(5):475-7. doi: 10.1177/104063870301500514.

Abstract

Beef and dairy cattle serum samples, collected during 2000 at sale barns throughout Georgia, were obtained from the Georgia State Brucellosis Laboratory and were used to conduct a retrospective epidemiological study. Statistical samplings of 5,307 sera, from over 200,000 sera, were tested for antibodies to Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis, (Johne's disease) using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test kit. An overall period seroprevalence in all classes of cattle tested was 4.73%. The period seroprevalence in dairy cattle was 9.58%, in beef cattle it was 3.95%, and in cattle of unknown breed it was 4.72%. It was concluded that the seroprevalence of Johne's disease in cull beef and dairy cattle in Georgia is economically significant.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cattle
  • Cattle Diseases / diagnosis
  • Cattle Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Dairying
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Female
  • Georgia / epidemiology
  • Paratuberculosis / diagnosis
  • Paratuberculosis / epidemiology*
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies