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Content archived on 2023-03-06

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Researchers reveal how wildlife causes livestock infections

EU-funded researchers have discovered that wild animals may be playing host to a bacterium that is possibly linked to Crohn's disease - an inflammatory disease of the intestines. Presented in the open access journal BMC Microbiology, the study's findings support theories of wi...

EU-funded researchers have discovered that wild animals may be playing host to a bacterium that is possibly linked to Crohn's disease - an inflammatory disease of the intestines. Presented in the open access journal BMC Microbiology, the study's findings support theories of wildlife infection reservoirs. The research was part of the ASSESS MPTB RISK and PARA-TB TRANSMISSION projects, funded under the EU's Fifth Framework Programme (FP5) to the tune of EUR 719 224 and EUR 1.3 million, respectively. Led by the Moredun Research Institute in Scotland, UK, the researchers shed light on how the Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map) is responsible for causing paratuberculosis or Johne's disease - an incurable wasting disease - in adult cattle. The transmission of the bacterium from wildlife to livestock can trigger considerable economic losses both to livestock and related industries. 'The epidemiology of Map is poorly understood, particularly with respect to the role of wildlife reservoirs and the controversial issue of zoonotic potential (Crohn's disease),' the study show. The British researchers, along with their colleagues from the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain used 3 genotyping techniques to identify the specific strains of Map in 164 samples taken from 19 livestock and wildlife species. 'Identical genotypes were obtained from Map isolated from different host species cohabiting on the same property, strongly suggesting that interspecies transmission occurs,' the study's authors wrote. 'Map infects a variety of wildlife and host species that potentially could be reservoirs for infection of domestic livestock and have serious implications for infection control of paratuberculosis.' According to the researchers, Map is related to the bacteria that cause tuberculosis in humans and cows. Map has also been linked to Crohn's disease in people, and is responsible for severe cases of diarrhoea in ruminants. 'This study was undertaken to determine the genetic diversity of Map, enhance our understanding of the host range and distribution and assess the potential for interspecies transmission,' the authors wrote. The team said more work must be carried out to determine the role of wildlife reservoirs for infection, and whether transmission is passive or active. Further studies would also investigate the odds of when and how wildlife comes into contact with domesticated ruminants. ASSESS MPTB RISK ('Paratuberculosis epidemiology and risk assessment: novel approaches to identify strain-specific markers') and PARA-TB TRANSMISSION ('The role of wildlife in the epidemiology of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis in domestic ruminants in Europe') were supported under FP5's 'Quality of life and management of living resources' Thematic programme.