Paratuberculosis in Cattle (Johne’s Disease)
Rashmi Singh, Akanksha Choudhary, Rahul Tiwari, Sarjna Meena
India is a predominantly country of villages. The lively-hood of people living in these villages is mostly dependent on the agriculture and the animal husbandry. Livestock is the main source of income for the population living in India.
Among livestock, cattle population contributes around 192.49 million (Livestock census of India 2019), showing an increase of 0.8% over 2012 census. The livestock sector plays a very important role in the rural economy through self-employment, income and food security.
In a country such as India where livestock are extremely important for people’s livelihood, animal disease can be a real threat to animal productivity and thus negatively impact on the agricultural sector and economic development. Bovine tuberculosis (BTB) and paratuberculosis are main problems out of such diseases.
Paratuberculosis is a chronic, incurable and progressive intestinal disease of domestic and wild ruminants. The disease is caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) which causes a sever reduction in milk yield resulting sever economic losses in animal husbandry. Culling of infected animals is advised to prevent spread of the disease.
Synonyms of paratuberculosis are Johne’s disease, chronic specific enteritis of cattle and chronic bacillary dysentery.
Paratuberculosis is zoonotic in nature so it can spread in human beings from animals. This disease can lead to a great economic loss to the farmers, by checking the prevalence of the infection, we can overcome the losses from the disease.
Paratuberculosis is essentially a bovine disease but other ruminants like- sheep, goat, buffalo are also susceptible. The disease has been recorded occasionally in horse, mule and pig without any economic significance. Animals less than one month old are most susceptible to infection but clinical manifestations do occur in more than two-year-old animals Evidences suggest that cattle, sheep and goat those have developed the disease in adult stage might have contacted the infection during their young age.
The incubation period of the diseases is very long. It ranges from 4 months to 15 years. Diseases is more apparent in cows in their 2nd or 3rd calving. The most cardinal clinical sign is diarrhea. Farces is dark in color and contain bubbles. As a result of continuous diarrhea the animal becomes hide bound. Due to weight loss, loose skin develops in the intra mandibular space, dewlap and brisket region simulating edema.
The most characteristic lesions are noted in the caecum and colon (ileo caecal valve) which are red and edematous. There is diffuse thickening along with transverse and longitudinal corrugation of the intestinal wall making irregular folds.
https://www.pashudhanpraharee.com/diarrhoea-management-in-dairy-animals/
There are various diagnostic tests for paratuberculosis, each with their advantages and disadvantages. Necropsy with culture and histopathology on multiple tissues is the gold standard for the diagnosis. But this is time taking and more costly technique. Other methods for diagnosis of paratuberculosis are PCR, Hypersensitivity test, CFT etc. According to OIE, the ELISA is at present the most sensitive and specific test for serum antibodies to Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis in cattle.
Large numbers of Indian cattle are low or unproductive, still they were never screened for JD. There is non availability and in attention of indigenous diagnostic kits and reagents (Johnin) in the country. Other side in developed countries, commercial ELISA kits are very popular for the diagnosis of JD.
Treatment of Paratuberculosis Often do not give encouraging result due to advanced course of the disease. However, antitubercular drugs likes streptomycin sulphate may be used.
Control requires good sanitation and management practices at limiting the exposure of young animal to the organism. Vaccine used against this disease consists of live non- pathogenic strain of M. Paratuberculosis in an adjuvant of equal parts of liquid paraffin and olive oil with little finely powdered pumice stone. Dose is 1.5 ml through subcutaneous route to calf.
https://www.oie.int/en/disease/paratuberculosis/
