An Unusual Encounter: Mycobacterium Paratuberculosis Infection in Wild Sheep
ABSTRACT Background Johne's disease (JD), paratuberculosis, is a chronic and debilitating intestinal disease affecting ruminants, caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). Although JD has been extensively studied in domestic livestock, its prevalence and impact on wildlif...
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| Format: | Article |
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Wiley
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Veterinary Medicine and Science |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.70396 |
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| author | Javad Abbasi Amirali Avarseji Alireza Nazari Muhammad Shahbazi Dastjerdi Diba Golchin Amin Zamani Mohammad Nouri Iradj Ashrafi Tamai |
| author_facet | Javad Abbasi Amirali Avarseji Alireza Nazari Muhammad Shahbazi Dastjerdi Diba Golchin Amin Zamani Mohammad Nouri Iradj Ashrafi Tamai |
| author_sort | Javad Abbasi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Background Johne's disease (JD), paratuberculosis, is a chronic and debilitating intestinal disease affecting ruminants, caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). Although JD has been extensively studied in domestic livestock, its prevalence and impact on wildlife in Iran, particularly among wild sheep, remain underexplored. Case description This study presents the first documented cases of JD in two free‐ranging, 3‐year‐old Isfahan wild sheep (Ovis orientalis isphahanica), which exhibited weight loss, hyperthermia and neurological symptoms, including paddling movements. The sheep developed acute watery diarrhoea and severe emaciation, culminating in death. Diagnostic evaluations—including haematology, clinical chemistry, gross pathology, histopathology and microbiology—revealed hypoproteinaemia, hypoalbuminaemia, regenerative anaemia and leukocytosis, all indicative of chronic infection. Necropsy findings highlighted pulmonary congestion, mesenteric lymphadenopathy and gastrointestinal thickening, whereas histopathology showed epithelioid macrophage infiltration and substantial intestinal oedema. Molecular analysis via endpoint polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmed the presence of MAP DNA in tissue samples. Conclusions This report is the first to document JD in wild sheep in Iran, underscoring the potential role of MAP as a disease reservoir in wildlife. The findings emphasize the need for epidemiological surveillance of JD in wildlife and the importance of understanding its potential cross‐species transmission risks. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b1976fafb7ee46799ea4a6cfa120c6ff |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2053-1095 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Veterinary Medicine and Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-b1976fafb7ee46799ea4a6cfa120c6ff2025-08-20T01:56:45ZengWileyVeterinary Medicine and Science2053-10952025-05-01113n/an/a10.1002/vms3.70396An Unusual Encounter: Mycobacterium Paratuberculosis Infection in Wild SheepJavad Abbasi0Amirali Avarseji1Alireza Nazari2Muhammad Shahbazi Dastjerdi3Diba Golchin4Amin Zamani5Mohammad Nouri6Iradj Ashrafi Tamai7Department of Animal and Poultry Health and Nutrition Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Tehran Tehran IranDepartment of Internal Medicine Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Tehran Tehran IranDepartment of Internal Medicine Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Tehran Tehran IranVeterinary Student in Tehran University Tehran IranDepartment of Pathology Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Tehran Tehran IranDepartment of veterinary Medicine, Karaj Branch Islamic Azad University Karaj IranDepartment of Clinical Sciences Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz Ahvaz IranDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Tehran Tehran IranABSTRACT Background Johne's disease (JD), paratuberculosis, is a chronic and debilitating intestinal disease affecting ruminants, caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). Although JD has been extensively studied in domestic livestock, its prevalence and impact on wildlife in Iran, particularly among wild sheep, remain underexplored. Case description This study presents the first documented cases of JD in two free‐ranging, 3‐year‐old Isfahan wild sheep (Ovis orientalis isphahanica), which exhibited weight loss, hyperthermia and neurological symptoms, including paddling movements. The sheep developed acute watery diarrhoea and severe emaciation, culminating in death. Diagnostic evaluations—including haematology, clinical chemistry, gross pathology, histopathology and microbiology—revealed hypoproteinaemia, hypoalbuminaemia, regenerative anaemia and leukocytosis, all indicative of chronic infection. Necropsy findings highlighted pulmonary congestion, mesenteric lymphadenopathy and gastrointestinal thickening, whereas histopathology showed epithelioid macrophage infiltration and substantial intestinal oedema. Molecular analysis via endpoint polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmed the presence of MAP DNA in tissue samples. Conclusions This report is the first to document JD in wild sheep in Iran, underscoring the potential role of MAP as a disease reservoir in wildlife. The findings emphasize the need for epidemiological surveillance of JD in wildlife and the importance of understanding its potential cross‐species transmission risks.https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.70396Mycobacterium paratuberculosispolymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysiswild sheep |
| spellingShingle | Javad Abbasi Amirali Avarseji Alireza Nazari Muhammad Shahbazi Dastjerdi Diba Golchin Amin Zamani Mohammad Nouri Iradj Ashrafi Tamai An Unusual Encounter: Mycobacterium Paratuberculosis Infection in Wild Sheep Veterinary Medicine and Science Mycobacterium paratuberculosis polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis wild sheep |
| title | An Unusual Encounter: Mycobacterium Paratuberculosis Infection in Wild Sheep |
| title_full | An Unusual Encounter: Mycobacterium Paratuberculosis Infection in Wild Sheep |
| title_fullStr | An Unusual Encounter: Mycobacterium Paratuberculosis Infection in Wild Sheep |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Unusual Encounter: Mycobacterium Paratuberculosis Infection in Wild Sheep |
| title_short | An Unusual Encounter: Mycobacterium Paratuberculosis Infection in Wild Sheep |
| title_sort | unusual encounter mycobacterium paratuberculosis infection in wild sheep |
| topic | Mycobacterium paratuberculosis polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis wild sheep |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.70396 |
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