A Study on the Prevalence of Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis in Three breeds of Sheep at Ahvaz Abattoir

Document Type : Research Paper

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DVSc Student of Health and Avian Diseases

Abstract

    This survey was carried out to determine the prevalence of Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis in Ahvaz abattoir, khozestan, Iran. From a pathological examination of the intestinal tracts of 1950 sheeps killed at slaughterhouse, 111 cases (5.69%) were suspected on gross examination, for having paratuberculosis. The diagnosis was confirmed by histopathological study and Ziehl-Neelsen staining on direct smears of rectal faeces. High numbers of acid-fast organisms were present in epithelioid macrophages of both intetestine and mesenteric lymph nodes. On microscopic examination, 18.02 % of the suspected animals (111 cases) were found to have paratuberculosis in comparison with 6.3 % by direct faecal smears. In addition, 37.83% and 13.51% and 4.5% of the animals were diagnosed as having eosinophilic enteritis, lymphocytic enteritis and suppurative enteritis, respectively. Infection rate in arabian breed (0.56%) was higher comparing to the rate in Lori (0.21%) and Bakhtiari breed (0.26%), however differences between sheep breeds were not statistically significant (P=0.34). The age specific infection rates among age groups were not significant (P=0.59). Significant association was found between caracass condition and the rate of infection recated to Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (P<0.001). According to the histopathology results, the prevalence of Johne's disease in Ahvaz abattoir is 1.03 % which correlates with previously published estimates.

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