While investigating the causative agents of paratuberculosis in domestic and wild ruminants, the presence of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) was revealed in different vertebrates and invertebrates. A total of 3,078 vertebrates and 8,489 invertebrates were examined: 40 hares (Lepus europaeus) and rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), 149 small terrestrial mammals of different species, 554 wild boars (Sus scrofa), 77 badgers (Meles meles), 3 otters (Lutra lutra), 46 martens (Martes foina), 78 foxes (Vulpes vulpes), 5 wolves (Canis lupus), 13 bears (Ursus arctos), 2,113 birds of different species, 36 larvae of family Tabanidae and Eristalis tenax, 7,791 adult diptera, 229 adult Coleoptera, and 433 earthworms. MAP was isolated from a hare, a common vole (Microtus arvalis), a rat (Rattus norvegicus), a lesser white-toothed shrew (Crocidura suaveolens), two wild boars, a bear, three larvae of Eristalis tenax, four adults of Diptera and one earthworm. Isolates of MAP from seven invertebrates, from the hare and the bear were analysed by standardised IS900 RFLP. MAP isolates from invertebrates were of identical type B-C1 as cattle isolates from infected farms, where invertebrates were collected. RFLP type of MAP isolate from the hare was B-C9 and from the bear E-C1. The bear originated from Slovakia where E-C1 RFLP type of MAP was found in pastured cattle. Our findings suggest that different infected vertebrates as atypical hosts can act as a final host and vector, or even as a reservoir of MAP. Invertebrates can pose as a potential vector by transmitting of MAP not only on their surface, but also in their digestive tracts, as it was documented in our study.

Sponsorship

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