Isolation of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis from non-ruminant wildlife living in the sheds and on the pastures of Greek sheep and goats

Abstract

This study aimed to: (1) investigate whether non-ruminant wildlife interfacing with dairy sheep and goats of four Greek flocks endemically infected with Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) harboured MAP and (2) genetically compare the strains isolated from the wildlife to those isolated from the small ruminants of these flocks. We cultured and screened, by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), pooled-tissue samples from 327 wild animals of 11 species for the MAP-specific IS900 insertion sequence. We also cultured faecal samples from 100 sheep or goats from each of the four flocks. MAP was detected in samples from 11 sheep, 12 goats, two mice, two rats, a hare and a fox. Only one rat had histopathological findings. Genetic typing categorized 21 isolates as cattle-type strains and two, from a house mouse and a goat respectively, as sheep-type strains; this is the first report of a rodent harbouring a sheep-type strain. The MAP types that were most frequently isolated amongst the sheep and goats of each flock were also the ones isolated from sympatric rodents; those isolated from the fox and hare also belonged to the predominant ruminant strains.

Fig

Typical IS1311 PCR-REA patterns with HinfI-digested amplicons in adjacent lanes. MAP cattle-type strains (lanes 2, 3) recovered from a fox and a hare respectively and MAP sheep-type strains (lanes 4 and 5) recovered from a house mouse and a goat are shown. Lanes 1 and 6 represent positive controls for sheep-type strains (ileum from sheep previously positive by IS900 PCR and IS1311 PCR–REA), and lane 7 a positive control for cattle-type strains (MAP strain ATCC19698). Lane M, 100 bp ladder.