Serological investigation and genotyping of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in sheep and goats in Inner Mongolia, China

Abstract

Paratuberculosis a contagious and chronic disease in domestic and wild ruminants, is caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). Typical clinical signs include intractable diarrhea, progressive emaciation, proliferative enteropathy, and mesenteric lymphadenitis. Paratuberculosis is endemic to many parts of the world and responsible for considerable economic losses. In this study, different types of paratuberculosis and MAP in sheep and goats were investigated in Inner Mongolia, a northern province in China contiguous with two countries and eight other provinces. A total of 4434 serum samples were collected from six cities in the western, central, and eastern regions of Inner Mongolia and analyzed using the ELISA test. In addition, tissue samples were collected from seven animals that were suspected to be infected with MAP. Finally, these tissues samples were analyzed by histopathological examination followed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), IS1311 PCR-restriction enzyme analysis (PCR-REA), and a sequence analysis of five genes. Among all 4434 ruminant serum samples collected from the six cities in the western, central, and eastern regions of Inner Mongolia, 7.60% (337/4434) measured positive for the MAP antibody. The proportions of positive MAP antibody results for serum samples collected in the western, central, and eastern regions were 5.10% (105/2058), 6.63% (85/1282), and 13.44% (147/1094), respectively. For the seven suspected infected animals selected from the herd with the highest rate of positivity, the gross pathology and histopathology of the necropsied animals were found to be consistent with the pathological features of paratuberculosis. The PCR analysis further confirmed the diagnosis of paratuberculosis. The rest of the results demonstrated that herds of sheep and goats in Inner Mongolia were infected with both MAP type II and type III. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of the two subtypes of MAP strains in sheep and goats in Inner Mongolia.

Paratuberculosis: The Hidden Killer of Small Ruminants

“…PTB has been reported in many European countries, such as Germany [ 45 ], Italy [ 23 ] and France [ 46 ], as well as in Oceania, Asian and African countries [ 47 , 48 , 49 ]. In the American continents, caprine PTB was reported in Missouri (USA) [ 50 ], Brazil [ 51 ], and Canada [ 52 ].…”

Bacterial Diseases Affecting Sheep and Goats

“…Animals are most frequently presented with chronic weight loss and diarrhea. In sheep, poor coat and hypoproteinemia leading to intermandibular edema are occasionally observed as well (Zhao et al 2021). Periods of stressful conditions exacerbate or cause clinical manifestation of the disease.…”

“…Disease can be controlled at herd level by implementing sound managemental practices. Blood and biochemistry panel often reveal marked hypoalbuminemia and hypoproteinemia in clinically ill patients (Zhao et al 2021). Culturing of fecal samples and subsequent antibiotic sensitivity testing can relay significant information regarding Map strain and efficacious antibiotics.…”

Large-scale serological survey on Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis infection in sheep and goat herds in Sicily, Southern Italy

“…PTB is globally widespread. It has been reported in several countries, such as Italy ( 16 ), Germany ( 17 ) and France ( 18 ), as well as in Asia, Africa and Oceania ( 19 , 20 ). Caprine PTB was reported in Canada ( 21 ), USA ( 22 ) and Brazil ( 23 ).…”