Frequency of Mycobacterium avium subsp. Paratuberculosis in milk, meat, ileum, and feces of cattle in Tabriz, Iran

Mycobacterium avium subsp. Paratuberculosis is the causative agent for Johne’s disease, which is a chronic and virulent disease, usually leading to incurable chronic enteritis. The bacterium afflicts domestic and wild ruminants. Milk and feces are important sources for the bacterial presence as well as pathogenic factors for the dissemination of infection. The human beings can be affected by raw and pasteurized milk, meat, and the environment. The aim of this study was to identify and determine the mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis prevalence in milk, feces, ileocecal area, and meat of slaughtered cattle in the Tabriz slaughterhouse. For the present study, 30 dairy cows two years of age or older were randomly selected in the Tabriz slaughterhouse. Milk and fecal sampling, and ileocecal and meat sampling, were conducted in several stages before and after slaughtering, respectively. The DNA was extracted from 120 samples at first, and then PCR was performed using IS900 specific primers. The obtained PCR products were electrophoresed on the agarose gel. Considering the results, the rate of mycobacterium infection was 26.7% in milk, 33.3% in feces, and 6.7% in ileocecum, and the infection rate was negative in meat. With regard to the procured results of the present study, the identification of mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis using the PCR method is a valuable test in herds. Since the present study showed a high infection rate in the district and considering the probable association between the bacterium and Crohn’s disease in humans, the need for further attention deems necessary.