RESUMEN
Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is the causative agent of paratuberculosis, or Johne's disease, a chronic granulomatous enteritis that affects all ruminants worldwide. Since the isolation of MAP from intestinal tissue of human patients bearing Crohn's disease, there has been a debate on the possibility of this agent playing a role in the etiology of Crohn's disease. Milk could be the potential vehicle for transmission to humans. Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis has already been detected in milk samples worldwide. In Brazil, detection of MAP is uncommon; however, it has already been detected by bacterial isolation and serological test. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of MAP, by PCR, in raw milk samples in the region of Viçosa, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Of 222 milk samples evaluated, 8 (3.6%) quarter milk samples amplified fragments of similar size to that expected of 626 bp. These fragments were cloned and sequenced. The genetic analysis revealed a 99% identity match between the sequences obtained in this study and the insertion sequence IS900 deposited in the GenBank. In the analyzed milk samples, MAP DNA was detected, confirming its presence in dairy cattle in the region of Viçosa. This is the first report of MAP presence in raw milk samples in Brazil.