Dynamic of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis infection in a domestic–wildlife interface: Domestic sheep and guanaco as reservoir community

Abstract

Natural herbivore populations have experienced uninterrupted pressures from direct and evident domestic‐wildlife interactions and competition, to indirect or less obvious ones such as pathogen transmission. Thus, pathogen spillover between wild and domestic animals is a constant concern because the domestic–wildlife interface represents the ecological frontier in which pathogen transmission takes place in both directions. In Patagonian steppe communities, extensive sheep ranching and guanaco (Lama guanicoe) populations coexist, and guanaco have shown to be infected by pathogens such as Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) likely transmitted from livestock. MAP causes chronic enteritis and affects mostly domestic ruminants. We evaluated MAP prevalence and pathogen shedding in both species’ faeces collected in non‐shared and shared sites according to presence/absence of sheep and guanaco along a year, in four different seasons (autumn, winter, and spring 2018, and summer 2019). Our results indicate that MAP circulates in both sheep and guanaco populations with self‐sustained transmission; however, both species differ in their levels of competence. We detected higher pathogen shedding in sites occupied by sheep, suggesting that sheep populations may be the main source of infection for susceptible animals due to their large numbers which drive MAP dynamics.

Lack of Exposure to Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in Chilean Cervids, and Evidence of a New Mycobacterium-Like Sequence

“…Molecular detection of M. bovis and MAP was carried out in 76 fecal samples from pudu picked up across the Los Lagos and Aysen regions in 2009-18 (Table 1) and in 45 fecal samples from huemul from populations at Isla Riesco (53800 0 S, 73800 0 W) and Torres del Paine National Park (5383 0 22.82 00 S, 72835 0 3.62 00 W), Magallanes Region, collected in 2017-18 (Table 1). Feces were collected fresh, as described by Corti et al (2021). All the pudu fecal samples and all but three huemul samples were frozen at À20 C within 1-10 d after collection, until their laboratory processing in 2019.…”

Mycobacterium avium Subspecies paratuberculosis in Asymptomatic Zoo Herbivores in Poland

“…RT-PCR also achieved positive results in the case of seven other species ( Table 3 ). All seven species have previously been confirmed to harbour MAP: pudu [ 28 ], guanaco [ 29 , 30 ], European bison [ 7 ], giraffe [ 8 ], Bactrian camel [ 31 ], alpaca [ 29 , 32 ], and domestic goat [ 33 ].…”

A Literature Review of Selected Bacterial Diseases in Alpacas and Llamas—Epidemiology, Clinical Signs and Diagnostics

“…Johne’s disease (JD) or paratuberculosis is a bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). The primary hosts are domestic ruminants, such as cattle, sheep, goats, alpacas, and llamas; however, MAP is a multi-host pathogen, and infection has also been detected in several wild ruminants [ 51 , 52 ]. MAP is highly resistant to environmental conditions, surviving on pasture for over six months.…”

“…MAP is highly resistant to environmental conditions, surviving on pasture for over six months. The most important transmission route is the faecal–oral route [ 51 ]. Prevention and control of MAP infections are complicated due to the long subclinical phase, the presence of few animals in the herd with clinical signs, the difficulty of diagnosing the early stage of infection and the high survival rate of the bacteria in the environment [ 53 ].…”

“…The presence of disease symptoms is often related to the shedding of bacteria with the faeces. The number of pathogens in the faeces indicates the progression and severity of the disease [ 51 ]. However, infected animals may shed MAP in their feces months or years before clinical signs of the disease appear.…”