Paratuberculosis in Latin America: a systematic review.

Latin America is the definition of the American group, where languages of Latin origin are spoken, including countries in South, Central, and North America. Paratuberculosis is a gastrointestinal contagious chronic disease that affects ruminants, whose etiological agent is the bacilli Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). Paratuberculosis is characterized by intermittent diarrhea, decreased milk production, dehydration, and progressive weight loss and is possibly involved in Crohn's disease, a human intestinal disease. MAP is resistant to environmental factors, pasteurization, and water disinfection, which coupled with the subclinical-clinical nature of the disease, and makes paratuberculosis a relevant socioeconomic and public health issue, justifying the descriptive review of research on the disease carried out in Latin American countries. A survey of articles, published until September 2016, on the Scopus database, PubMed, Agris, and Science Direct, about detection of the agent and the disease in Latin America, without restrictions to the date of the research was performed. The keywords were as follows: "paratuberculosis," "Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis," "cattle," "milk," "wildlife," "goat," "ovine," "dairy," and the name of each country in English. Studies found from nine of the 20 Latin America countries, 31 related to Brazil, 17 to Argentina, 14 to Chile, eight to Colombia, six to Mexico, two to Peru, two to Venezuela, and one to Panama and to Bolivia, each. The agent was detected in cattle, goats, sheep, domesticated water buffalo, and wild animals. Microbiological culture, PCR, and ELISA were the frequent techniques. The small number of studies may result in overestimation or underestimation of the real scenario.

Short communication: Viable Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis in retail artisanal Coalho cheese from Northeastern Brazil.

Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is the etiologic agent of paratuberculosis and it potentially plays a role in Crohn's disease. In humans, the main route of transmission of MAP might be the intake of contaminated milk and dairy products. Considering that MAP has already been detected in many types of cheese in different counties, and that Coalho cheese is an important dairy product in northeastern Brazil, the aim of this study was to report the first detection of MAP in retail Coalho cheese in Brazil by PCR and culture. Of 30 retail Coalho cheese samples, 3 (10%) amplified fragments of a similar size to that expected (626 bp) were obtained and viable MAP was recovered by culture from 1 (3.3%) sample. The DNA from the positive culture sample was sequenced and showed 99% identity with the insertion sequence IS900 deposited in GenBank. It was possible to identify the presence of MAP-specific DNA in the analyzed samples for the first time in Brazil, and to recover viable cells from retail Coalho cheese.

Short communication: Recovery of viable Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis from retail pasteurized whole milk in Brazil.

Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is the etiological agent of paratuberculosis, a chronic granulomatous enteritis that affects all ruminants worldwide. Some researchers have indicated a possible role of MAP in Crohn's disease. Despite extensive research and large and important advances in the past few decades, the etiology of Crohn's disease remains indefinite. The most probable transmission route of MAP from animals to humans is milk and dairy products. Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis has already been detected in milk samples worldwide, and some studies have reported that MAP is resistant to pasteurization. In Brazil, MAP has been reported in raw milk samples; however, Brazilian retail pasteurized milk has not yet been tested for viable MAP. The aim of this study was to investigate MAP in pasteurized milk in the region of Viçosa (Minas Gerais, Brazil). Thirty-seven samples were collected and processed for culture of MAP. One colony similar to MAP was observed and confirmed by IS900-nested PCR and sequencing. Analysis revealed 97 to 99% identity with the MAP K-10 strain. This study is the first report of the presence of MAP in retail pasteurized whole milk in Brazil.