title: Diagnostic detection methods for Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in white-tailed deer.
abstract: This study compares the results and suitability of serological testing, microscopic examination, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) detection, and bacterial culture for detecting Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map) infection in asymptomatic farmed white-tailed deer (WTD) (Odocoileus virginianus). Deer were classified as infected if culture slants from their feces, lymph nodes, or ileum were positive, or if a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay detected Map DNA in any of its tissues. Deer identified as positive by agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) testing or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) but not by bacterial culture, Ziehl-Neelsen staining, or PCR assay were classified as suspect. Culture of tissues classified 10/16 (62.5%), histopathologic examination 1/16 (6.3%), tissue smears 4/16 (25%), culture slant (CS)-PCR on feces 12/15 (80%), CS-PCR on tissue 13/16 (81.3%), and direct PCR on uncultured tissues 5/16 (31.3%) deer as infected. The ELISA classified 2/15 (13.3%) deer as positive and therefore suspect. The AGID test was negative for all deer. Fifteen of 16 deer were positive by 1 or more tests; only 1 deer was negative on all 11 assays. The CS-PCR gave superior results on antemortem fecal testing as well as postmortem tissue testing and can be recommended for improving the detection of Map in WTD at every stage of infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4. murray.woodbury@usask.ca
authors.forename: Murray R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Woodbury
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chirino-Trejo
authors.forename: Biljana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mihajlovic
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards / Q000662:veterinary*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D003670:Deer / Q000382:microbiology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005779:Immunodiffusion / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D016927:Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010283:Paratuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial