Paratuberculosis in cattle: A possible risk for consumers

1
Paratuberculosis in cattleA possible risk for
consumers

• Karel Hruška and Ivo Pavlík

2
Paratuberculosis (Johnes disease)

• caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp.
  paratuberculosis
• no known toxins but strong immune reaction in the
  gut
• massive multiplication in acute phase of disease
• presence in milk and meat
• Crohn disease
• similar pathological symptoms in man
• family history is a risk factor
• autoimmune disease ? primed by bacterial mimicry

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Crohns disease incidence and importance

• 0,15 per cent of the population
• USA 400 000 people
• costs 1,0 to 1,2 billion dollars
• Western Europe 280 000 people
• similar prevalence in Canada, Australia and New
  Zealand
• (all with high incidence of paratuberculosis)
• Central and Eastern European countries have lower
  incidence of CD and less paratuberculosis, but
  rapid increase of incidence in both diseases

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Risk factors

• both viable and dead bacteria in milk, beef and
  venison
• surviving of mycobacteria in the environment and
  water
• several years of latent period of disease
• difficult diagnosis
• expensive eradication of paratuberculosis
• absence of unified opinion

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Never is too early to look for the solution if
the real problem exists

• farmers must be informed why and how to keep
  their herds paratuberculosis free
• herds not yet infected should be protected
• milk and meat from infected cattle should not be
  consumed by people under risk (children and
  family members of CD patients)
• bioproducts cannot be marketed from cattle
  suffering from paratuberculosis