title: Disseminated Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis infection in two wild Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra L.) from Portugal.
abstract: Disseminated Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) infections were found in two Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra, L. 1758) killed by vehicular trauma in February and March 2010 in Castelo Branco, Portugal. At postmortem examination, the organs showed no significant gross alterations; however, microscopically, both animals had diffuse lymphadenitis with macrophage infiltration and deposition of hyaline material in the center of the lymphoid follicles. Acid-fast organisms were isolated from gastrointestinal tissue samples via bacteriologic culture. These organisms were identified as M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis by IS900 polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Additionally, direct IS900 PCR-positive results were obtained for multiple organs of both animals. This is the first report of MAP infection of otters in Portugal.
authors.affiliation: School of Agriculture, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6001-909 Castelo Branco, Portugal. acmatos@ipcb.pt
authors.forename: Ana Cristina
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Matos
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Figueira
authors.forename: Maria Helena
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matos
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alvares
authors.forename: Maria Lurdes
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Ana Cláudia
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Coelho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D016927:Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010041:Otters; D010283:Paratuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D011174:Portugal / Q000453:epidemiology