title: Modeling the occurrence of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in bulk raw milk and the impact of management options for exposure mitigation.
abstract: Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is the causal agent of paratuberculosis (Johne's disease) in cattle and other farm ruminants. The potential role of MAP in Crohn's disease in humans and the contribution of dairy products to human exposure to MAP continue to be the subject of scientific debate. The occurrence of MAP in bulk raw milk from dairy herds was assessed using a stochastic modeling approach. Raw milk samples were collected from bulk tanks in dairy plants and tested for the presence of MAP. Results from this analytical screening were used in a Bayesian network to update the model prediction. Of the 83 raw milk samples tested, 4 were positive for MAP by culture and PCR. We estimated that the level of MAP in bulk tanks ranged from 0 CFU/ml for the 2.5th percentile to 65 CFU/ml for the 97.5th percentile, with 95% credibility intervals of [0, 0] and [16, 326], respectively. The model was used to evaluate the effect of measures aimed at reducing the occurrence of MAP in raw milk. Reducing the prevalence of paratuberculosis has less of an effect on the occurrence of MAP in bulk raw milk than does managing clinically infected animals through good farming practices.
authors: Danone Research, RD128, 91767 Palaiseau Cedex, France. christophe.boulais@danone.com
authors: Christophe
authors: C
authors: Boulais
authors: Ron
authors: R
authors: Wacker
authors: Jean-Christophe
authors: JC
authors: Augustin
authors: Mohamed Hedi Ben
authors: MH
authors: Cheikh
authors: Fabrice
authors: F
authors: Peladan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D002417:Cattle; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D003612:Dairying / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D008892:Milk / Q000382:microbiology*; D016927:Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013269:Stochastic Processes