title: European hares in Chile: a different lagomorph reservoir for Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis?
abstract: Ruminants are the principal host for infection by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map), the cause of Johne's disease. Based on studies of a Map-infected population of European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in Scotland, lagomorphs as a broad taxonomic order were proposed as potential nonruminant reservoirs for Map. To determine whether a different lagomorph species may serve as a wildlife reservoir, we investigated Map infection in European hares (Lepus europaeus) sharing habitat with known Map-infected dairy cattle in southern Chile. Fecal, mesenteric lymph node, and ileal samples were aseptically collected from 385 wild hares for liquid culture and real-time polymerase chain reaction identification of acid-fast isolates. All tissue samples were also acid-fast stained and examined microscopically. We isolated Map from at least one tissue from 48 hares (12.6%) and fecal samples from 16 hares (4.2%). No Map was found in tissues of eight of the fecal-culture-positive hares. Histologically, all tissues from all hares were within normal limits, and no acid-fast organisms were observed in any sample. Active infection, implying amplification of the organism secondary to resultant disease, was not evident. With this report Map isolations on a population versus incidental detection have now been made from two lagomorph species. However, although the rabbit population studied in Scotland appears to function as a Map reservoir, the hares studied in Chile appear to be a dead-end host, serving only as potential mechanical vectors for the organism.
authors: Biochemistry and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Austral de Chile, Edificio Instapanel, Campus Isla Teja, Valdivia, Chile. miguelsalgado@uach.cl
authors: Miguel
authors: M
authors: Salgado
authors: Elizabeth J B
authors: EJ
authors: Manning
authors: Gustavo
authors: G
authors: Monti
authors: Göran
authors: G
authors: Bölske
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Söderlund
authors: Manuel
authors: M
authors: Ruiz
authors: Enrique
authors: E
authors: Paredes
authors: Sergio
authors: S
authors: Leiva
authors: Herbert
authors: H
authors: Van Kruningen
authors: Juan
authors: J
authors: Kruze
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000382:microbiology; D002417:Cattle; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D004199:Disease Vectors; D005260:Female; D034621:Hares / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D016927:Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis / Q000254:growth & development*; D010283:Paratuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D013045:Species Specificity