Paratuberculosis or avian tuberculosis in red deer with chronic diarrhea?

Abstract

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map) is the etiological agent of paratuberculosis. In Chile, information about Map isolation from both domestic ruminant and wildlife species has been accumulating, but it has extended to other species. In Chile, deer farming activity has been focused in hunting and meat production. No paratuberculosis surveillance has been reported for these source herds. In the present study, chronic diarrhea and poor body condition in some animals belonging to a deer farm was informed. Four adult affected hinds were euthanized under suspicion of paratuberculosis. In all animals macroscopic and microscopic lesions consistent with paratuberculosis were observed. Map-positive culture results from faecal and tissue samples, complemented with positive-PCR-results from fixed tissues are informed. Evidence has been found on cattle and deer populations being connected since molecular characterization of the Map isolated from deer lack of variation between the cattle control strain. The latter could indicate that both species share the same bacteria, suggesting there is interspecies transmission. Complementary diagnostic methods were accurate to diagnose paratuberculosis and to differentiate the clinical deer case from other mycobacterial infection. The epidemiological findings suggest that the infection in the deer farm could be transmitted from a cattle herd, making this the first reported case of paratuberculosis in deer farm in Chile.