Control of paratuberculosis: who, why and how. A review of 48 countries.

Paratuberculosis, a chronic disease affecting ruminant livestock, is caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). It has direct and indirect economic costs, impacts animal welfare and arouses public health concerns. In a survey of 48 countries we found paratuberculosis to be very common in livestock. In about half the countries more than 20% of herds and flocks were infected with MAP. Most countries had large ruminant populations (millions), several types of farmed ruminants, multiple husbandry systems and tens of thousands of individual farms, creating challenges for disease control. In addition, numerous species of free-living wildlife were infected. Paratuberculosis was notifiable in most countries, but formal control programs were present in only 22 countries. Generally, these were the more highly developed countries with advanced veterinary services. Of the countries without a formal control program for paratuberculosis, 76% were in South and Central America, Asia and Africa while 20% were in Europe. Control programs were justified most commonly on animal health grounds, but protecting market access and public health were other factors. Prevalence reduction was the major objective in most countries, but Norway and Sweden aimed to eradicate the disease, so surveillance and response were their major objectives. Government funding was involved in about two thirds of countries, but operations tended to be funded by farmers and their organizations and not by government alone. The majority of countries (60%) had voluntary control programs. Generally, programs were supported by incentives for joining, financial compensation and/or penalties for non-participation. Performance indicators, structure, leadership, practices and tools used in control programs are also presented. Securing funding for long-term control activities was a widespread problem. Control programs were reported to be successful in 16 (73%) of the 22 countries. Recommendations are made for future control programs, including a primary goal of establishing an international code for paratuberculosis, leading to universal acknowledgment of the principles and methods of control in relation to endemic and transboundary disease. An holistic approach across all ruminant livestock industries and long-term commitment is required for control of paratuberculosis.

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis detection in individual and bulk tank milk samples from bovine herds and caprine flocks.

Paratuberculosis, or Johne's disease, is caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map), and it generates great economic losses for the dairy industry worldwide. In humans, Map has been associated with Crohn's disease. Mexico has unknown paratuberculosis prevalence, and yet, control programs have not been applied. This study aimed to determine the presence of Map in milk samples from seropositive goats and cows and bulk tank milk samples from herds previously designated Map-infected using indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Map DNA was detected in 100% of the bulk tank milk samples of 14 bovine herds and 3 caprine flocks using a modified insertion sequence 900 polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Additionally, Map DNA was detected in 100% of the individual milk samples from 10 cows and 8 goats. Further, based on the findings of the experimental insertion sequence 900 PCR assessment, evaluation of bulk tank and individual milk samples through a type-specific PCR was performed, which confirmed our previous findings and revealed that 56.25% cow and 63.63% goat milk had concurrent infections of the C, I, and S types. Out of 14 bulk tank milk samples, 10 had viable mycobacteria. Paratuberculosis was detected at a high frequency in cow and goat milk, which suggests that raw milk ingestion represents a potential risk of Map infection.

Estudio histológico e inmunofenotípico de linfoma canino en el centro de México / Histological and immunophenotypic study of canine lymphoma in the center of Mexico

Immunophenotype constitutes an important factor in the prognosis of canine lymphoma. It has been demonstrated that dogs with B-cell lymphomas have a longer life span than those with T-cell lymphomas. CD3 and CD79a antigens are the most common markers used for the immunohistochemical determination of T-cell and B-cell on formalin-fixed paraffin wax-embedded canine lymphoma tissues. This study describes the morphological and immunophenotypic characteristics of 31 cases of lymphoma in Mexico, obtained from file of the Pathology Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry Faculty of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. The National Cancer Institute-Working Formulation (NCI-WF) classification system was used for the histological classification. Fourteen cases (45.16%) were B cell origin, 15 cases (48.39%) were T-cell origin and 2 cases (6.45%) presented an indeterminate origin. Histopathological diffuse large cell lymphoma (DL) was the most common found (38.71%), followed by lymphocytic (DSL), immunoblastic (IB), intermediate and high-grade lymphomas represented 77.42% of the cases. In this study there was higher prevalence of T-cell lymphoma. The results in this work could indicate prevalent differences in the immunophenotype of the canine lymphoma in Mexico compared with other geographical areas.

El inmunofenotipo constituye un factor importante en el pronóstico del linfoma canino. Se ha demostrado que perros con linfoma de células B presentan tiempos de sobrevivencia más largos que los perros con linfoma de células T. Los antígenos CD3 y CD79a son los marcadores más utilizados en inmunohistoquímica para la determinación del fenotipo celular T y B, respectivamente, en muestras fijadas en formalina y conservadas en bloques de parafina. En este estudio se describen las características morfológicas e inmunofenotípicas de 31 casos de linfoma en México, de casos del archivo del Departamento de Patología de la Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Para la clasificación histológica se utilizó el sistema del National Cancer Institute-Working Formulation (NCI-WF). Catorce casos (45.16%) correspondieron a células B, 15 (48.39%) a células T, y dos (6.45%) fueron de origen indeterminado. Histopatológicamente, el linfoma difuso de células grandes fue el tipo más común, representó 38.71% de los casos; le siguieron los siguientes linfomas: linfocítico, inmunoblástico y linfoblástico. Los linfomas de grado intermedio a alto representaron 77.42% de los casos. En este estudio se encontró mayor prevalencia de linfoma de células T. Los resultados en este trabajo pudieran indicar una diferencia en la prevalencia en el inmunofenotipo del linfoma canino en México, en relación con otras zonas geográficas.