title: Evaluation of bacteriologic culture of individual and pooled fecal samples for detection of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis in dairy cattle herds.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the sensitivity of bacteriologic culture of pooled fecal samples in detecting Mycobacterium paratuberculosis, compared with bacteriologic culture of individual fecal samples in dairy cattle herds.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  24 dairy cattle herds.
  
  
  METHODS
  Individual and pooled fecal samples were submitted for bacteriologic culture, and results were compared between these groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-four and 88% of pooled fecal samples that contained feces from at least 1 animal with high (mean, > or = 50 colonies/tube) and moderate (mean, 10 to 49 colonies/tube) concentrations of M paratuberculosis, respectively, were identified by use of bacteriologic culture of pooled fecal samples. Prevalences of paratuberculosis determined by bacteriologic culture of pooled and individual fecal samples were highly correlated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bacteriologic culture of pooled fecal samples provided a valid and cost-effective method for the detection of M paratuberculosis infection in dairy cattle herds and can be used to estimate prevalence of infection within a herd.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Population Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108, USA.
authors.forename: Scott J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.forename: Sandra M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Godden
authors.forename: Cynthia J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Lindeman
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Collins
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D016927:Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010283:Paratuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity