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Summary
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To investigate the infection of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) in Taiwan, we performed serological test of dairy cattle and goats using a commercially-available ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) kit and isolated MAP from dairy herd fecal samples. The prevalence of MAP was 9.4% (188/2,010) and 2.7% (31/1,154) in cattle and goats, respectively, and 76.1% (51/67) of the dairy herds and 37.5% (18/48) of the dairy goat having at least one positive animal. The prevalence of MAP in fecal samples was 1.8% (7/380), and the herd prevalence of MAP positive fecal samples was 18.4% (7/38). In addition, the serum samples of other ruminants were analyzed by complement fixation test (CFT), showing that 25.0% (3/12) of Formosan Serow and 33.3% (1/3) of Alpaca tested were CFT positive. Our findings indicated that MAP is endemic among dairy cattle, goats, and other ruminant populations in Taiwan. The data are instrumental in the establishment of epidemic distribution patterns and in designing future control programs of paratuberculosis in ruminants.
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