In the Czech Republic paratuberculosis has been monitored by faecal and/or tissue cultures in 6,935 wild ruminants originating from wild nature, game parks, and farms since 1997. Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) was diagnosed in 288 (4.2%) animals from 10 game parks, 10 farms, and from wild nature of 8 regions. The highest prevalence of MAP was found at deer and mouflon farms. In two deer farms the distribution of MAP in the organism of red deer (Cervus elaphus) was studied. In farm A 167 animals of different age were slaughtered and 835 tissues (hepatic, mediastinal, and ileocecal lymph nodes, spleen, and ileum) were cultured. Neither tuberculous lesions nor pathognomic signs of paratuberculosis and mycobacteria after the Ziehl-Neelsen staining were detected. MAP was isolated from 71, M. a. avium (MAA) from 13, and both pathogens (MAA and MAP) from 18 animals, respectively. Using standardised RFLP methods, three IS900 RFLP types B-C1, B-C16, and B-C32 of MAP isolates and four IS901 RFLP types N-B1, N-B3, N-B4 and P-B3 of MAA isolates were identified. On the farm B MAP was cultured from faeces from 27 (34.6) of 78 animals. From ten slaughtered animals 193 tissues were examined (gastrointestinal tract, parenchymatous organs, including genitals, and adjacent lymph nodes). MAP was isolated from all animals from 86.5% tissue samples including supramammary lymph node, mammary gland, milk, uterus, amnion fluid, and testicles. After IS900 RFLP analysis of 51 isolates RFLP type B-C1 (n=44) predominated; RFLP types B-C5 (n=5) and B-C16 (n=2) occurred sporadically in mixed infected animals. In the faeces of these infected 10 animals and from other faecal shedders and in the environment, MAP isolates of RFLP type B-C1 were found only. In four progenies the infection with the same RFLP type of MAP as in their mothers was documented.

Sponsorship

This work was partially supported by the grants from the Czech Republic (No. 0002716201) and EU (No.QLRT-2000-00879). Attendance to this Congress was sponsored by the EU-funded project SSPE-CT-2004-501903.