Do Non-Ruminant Wildlife Pose a Risk of Paratuberculosis to Domestic Livestock and Vice Versa in Scotland?

Abstract

Paratuberculosis (Johne's disease) was long considered only a disease of ruminants. Recently non-ruminant wildlife species have been shown to harbor Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, the causative organism of paratuberculosis. We review the known non-ruminant wildlife host range of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis and consider their role in the epidemiology of paratuberculosis in domestic ruminant livestock. Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis has been isolated from lagomorph, canid, mustelid, corvid, and murid species. In agricultural environments domestic ruminants may contact wildlife and/or their excreta when grazing or feeding on farm-stored feed contaminated with wildlife feces, opening up the possibility of inter-species transmission. Of the wildlife species known to harbor M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis in Scotland, the rabbit is likely to pose the greatest risk to grazing livestock. Paratuberculosis in domestic ruminants is a notoriously difficult disease to control; the participation of non-ruminant wildlife in the epidemiology of the disease may partially account for this difficulty.

Mycobacterium Avium Subspecies Paratuberculosis and Mycobacterium Avium Subsp. Avium Infections in a Tule Elk (Cervus Elaphus Nannodes) Herd

“…Potential sources of infection of the elk on GIWA include the original founder animals or subsequent translocation. Less likely sources of infection are shared water and range contaminated by infected livestock surrounding the area and perhaps nonruminant wildlife (Daniels et al, 2003).…”

“…Fecal shedding of MAP in the absence and presence of clinical disease has been reported in tule elk , fallow deer (Riemann et al, 1979), axis deer (Axis axis) (Riemann et al, 1979), and whitetailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) (Chiodini and van Kruinigen, 1983). In Scotland, MAP has been isolated from tissues and feces of numerous nonruminant wildlife species collected on farms with histories of paratuberculosis in domestic ruminants (Daniels et al, 2003).…”

Zoonotic aspects of Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex (MAC)

“…Maa and Map, the known host range includes ruminant and non-ruminant wildlife (Tab. III) [8,40,166,167]. This section is divided into three parts.…”

“…The number of wild boars with tuberculous lesions increases with age. However mycobacteria are more frequently isolated from [8,40]. Following the isolation of Map in rabbits, the studies were extended to other wildlife species in farms with a history of paratuberculosis in livestock.…”

“…Another study showed that the same strain of Map isolated from bighorn sheep was able to infect other species of wild animals as well as domestic ruminants [174,175]. Conversely, some wildlife animals such as rodents, may be infected through scavenging livestock feed on floors contaminated with livestock feces [40].…”