• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.89-95
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• 2015

Johne's disease, caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), is one of the most widespread and economically important diseases in cattle. Current diagnostic methods are based on the detection of anti-MAP antibodies in serum or isolation of the causative agent. However, these techniques are often not applicable for cases of subclinical infection due to relatively low sensitivity. Therefore, finding new antigen candidates that strongly react with the host immune system had been attempted. To effectively detect infection during the subclinical stage, several antigen candidates were selected based on previous researches. Characteristics of the selected antigen candidates were analyzed using bioinformatics-based prediction tools. A total of nine antigens were selected (MAP0862, MAP3817c, MAP2077c, MAP0860c, MAP3954, MAP3155c, MAP1204, MAP1087, and MAP2963c) that have MAP-specific and/or high immune responses to infected animals. Using a transmembrane prediction tool, five of the nine antigen candidates were predicted to be membrane protein (MAP3817c, MAP3954, MAP3155c, MAP1087, and MAP1204). Some of the predicted protein structures identified using the I-TASSER server shared similarities with known proteins found in the Protein Data Bank database (MAP0862, MAP1204, and MAP2077c). In future studies, the characteristics and diagnostic efficiency of the selected antigen candidates will be evaluated.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.147-157
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• 2011

Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP), the cause of Johne's disease in animals, may be a causative agent of Crohn's disease (CD) in humans, but the evidence supporting this claim is controversial. Milk, meat, and water could be potential sources of MAP transmission to humans. Thus, if the link between MAP and Crohn's disease is substantiated, the fact that MAP has been detected in retail foods could be a public health concern. The purpose of the present study was to review the link between MAP and CD, the prevalence of MAP in foods, heat inactivation, control of MAP during food processing, and detection methods for MAP. Although MAP positive rates in retail milk in nine countries ranged from 0 to 2.9% by the culture method and from 4.5 to 15.5% by PCR, high temperature short time pasteurization can effectively control MAP. The effectiveness of pasteurization to inactivate MAP depends on the initial concentration of the MAP in raw milk. Development of highly sensitive and specific rapid detection methods for MAP may enhance investigation into the relationship between MAP and CD, the prevention of the spread of MAP, and problem-solving related to food safety. Collaboration and efforts by government agencies, the dairy industry, farmers, veterinarians, and scientists will be required to reduce and prevent MAP in food.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.219-223
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• 2015

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) causes paratuberculosis or Johne's disease, an intestinal granulomatous infection in domestic and wild animals. The study aimed to develop and evaluate a panel of multiplex quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (mqPCR) assay for simultaneous detection of three MAP-specific genes (IS900, F57 and ISMAP02 genes). The analytic sensitivity (i.e., limit of detection, expressed as cells per 1 ml) was 150 for IS900, 1500 for F57, and 50 for ISMAP02. The specificity of the method was determined by testing 152 bovine fecal samples. Based on the test, it showed that the assay simultaneously detected the target genes in short period of time and at lower cost compared to laboratory routine tests. The test agreement between the assay and routine test was 94%. The discrepancy in the results was due to samples that were tested positive by the panel but negative by the routine tests, suggesting that the assay has higher sensitivity than the routine tests. In conclusion, the mqPCR assay could be a rapid and accurate testing tool for investigating paratuberculosis or Johne's disease cases in domestic and wild animals.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.794-798
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• 2012

Paratuberculosis (Johne's disease), a chronic wasting disease caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), is a major cause of economic loss in the cattle industry. In Korea, national monitoring of breeding stock for MAP has been implemented. In this study, we report the results of serological testing to determine the prevalence of MAP in breeding stock of Korean native and dairy cattle during 2008 and 2009. A total of 3,927 serum samples were submitted (3,692 Korean native cattle and 235 dairy cattle) to Animal Disease Diagnostic Division, Animal, Plant and Fisheries Quarantine and Inspection Agency. The samples were classified into four different age groups for MAP; group 1 (${\leq}2$ year, n = 1,509), group 2 (>2 years to ${\leq}3$ years, n = 486), group 3 (>3 years to ${\leq}4$ years, n = 441), and group 4 (>4 years, n = 1,491). Overall seroprevalence of MAP in this study was 0.5% (21/3,927), which was much lower than that of conventional cattle (1.2-16.4%) in Korea. Also, the seroprevalence was determined by age groups: three of group 1 (0.2%), two of group 2 (0.4%), three of group 3 (0.7%), and 13 of group 4 (0.9%) were seropositive for MAP, respectively. Although seropositive samples were found in all age groups, the seroprevalence tended to increase with age. Our study showed that the seroprevalence of MAP in pure-bred breeding dairy cattle (0%) was lower than that in pure-bred breeding Korean native cattle (0.6%).

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.249-254
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• 2010

Deer can be one of the susceptible animals to bovine infectious diseases, and thus, may play a role either as a reservoir or amplifier host for spreading the diseases to other species such as cattle and goat. This study was conducted to determine the serum antibodies to bacterial infectious diseases for brucellosis, tuberculosis (TB), paratuberculosis (Johne's disease) in deer. Serum samples were randomly collected from 78 deer from 31 farms at Jeonbuk province, and 7 wild water deer from Jeonbuk wild animal treatment center during 2005 to 2007, respectively. Four farm deer (5.1%) showed antibodies to tuberculosis using Antigen Rapid Bovine TB Ab Test Kit. One elk (1.3%) and one wild water deer had antibodies for paratuberculosis. Antibody against Brucellosis was not detected in tube agglutination test (TAT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). These data suggest that caution should be applied to inspection of velvet, deer blood and meat for human consumption from deer because of zoonotic bacterial diseases in deer. In addition, farmed deer can be a transmissible host for zoonotic disease to diary or raising farm.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.171-176
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• 2009

Johne's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease of cattle, sheep, goats and other ruminants, and Mycobacterium paratuberculosis is the etiologic agent of this disease. Many studies have been carried out on paratuberculosis from daily cattle and Korean native cattle in multiple areas around nation, but there is no report in Eastern-Gyeongbuk area. The purpose of this study is to investigate the seroprevalence of bovine paratuberculosis in Eastern-Gyeongbuk area. From July to December in 2007, blood samples were collected from 363 dairy cattle of 27 farms and 281 Korean cattle of 114 farms and the ELISA was conducted. 25 (6.9%) dairy cattle of 6 (22%) farms and 19 (6.8%) Korean cattle of 8 (7.0%) farms were positive in ELISA. In regional analysis, 25 (8.3%) out of 300 dairy cattle in Gyeungju were positive and Pohang were negative in this research. 12 (16.4%) out of 73 Korean cattle in Gyeungju and 7 (9.6%) out of 73 Korean cattle in Uljin were positive. Pohang and Youngdeok of Korean cattle were negative in this research. According to raising scale of dairy cattle, 4 (66.7%) farms out of 6 farms were raising 30 below and 2 (33.3%) farms out of were raising 30$\sim$70. And there were negative raising scale more than 70. In Korean cattle, 6 (75%) farms out of 8 were raising below 10 and 2 (25%) farms were raising 10$\sim$30. And there were negative raising scale more than 30. The rate of seropositive of paratuberculosis dairy cattle and Korean cattle were similar and the positive rate of Eastern-Gyeongbuk area is reported lower than that of any other region.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.58-63
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• 1984

Fecal material from cattle, which was confirmed to be infected with Johne's disease by clinical and pathological symptoms, was decontaminated with 4% NaOH and inoculated into the $L{\ddot{o}}wenstein$-Jensen media supplemented with 1% of heat-killed Mycobacterium bovis. After 2-4 week-incubation at $37^{\circ}C$, typical acid-fast mycobacteria was isolated. With the results of staining properties, morphological characteristics, the requirement of mycobactin for growth and the other biochemical properties, isolated mycobacteria was identified as Mycobacterium paratuberculosis. Female guinea pigs were sensitized with the isolates, and skin test was done with purified protein derivatives (PPDs) of M. avium, M. bovis and M. paratuberculosis 4 weeks after sensitization. Animals showed the largest reaction to the PPDs of M. avium and M. paratuverculosis.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.271-274
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• 2006

A 2-years-old female domesticated mouflon with a clinical history of chronic diarrhea and emaciation was submitted to NVRQS. Grossly, there were severe thickening of small intestine wall and enlargement of mesenteric lymph nodes. Microscopically, severe granulomatous inflammation was found in small and large intestine, mesenteric lymph nodes, spleen and liver. By Ziehl-Neelsen stain, innumerable acid-fast rod bacteria were found in the cytoplasm of epitheloid and Langhans type giant cells present in these organs. By PCR assay with primer pair specific for Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis(IS 900) with small intestine sample, strong positive reaction was detected, although the organism was not isolated from this organ. Based on the results of histopathology and PCR, we concluded that the case was a typical paratuberculosis in mouflon. As far as we know, this is the first case report of paratuberculosis in mouflon Korea.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.117-122
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• 2020

Johne's disease (JD) caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) is a chronic, wasting infectious disease in ruminants that causes enormous economic losses to the dairy and beef cattle industries. The most effective way to eradicate JD is to detect infected individuals as early as possible and remove them from the herd. However, it is difficult to detect infected individuals early with the currently using diagnostic methods. Two serological diagnostic kits commercially used worldwide and a fecal detection test were compared using 298 serum samples and feces of cattle in this study to present an efficient diagnostic method. Although there was a high correlation between the 2 serological diagnostic kits (R² = 0.7473), kit A showed a higher serological positive rate. However, the correlation between fecal tests and serological diagnosis was very low. MAP was also detected in fecal tests in many serologically negative individuals. In the periodical diagnosis of JD, MAP was detected in the feces of only cows with the higher antibody titer to MAP. These results suggest that for effective eradication of JD, early detection of infected individuals by fecal tests together with the serological tests currently in use and by removal of infected individuals are needed.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.251-255
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• 2009

TThis survey was carried out to investigate the prevalence of the antibody for bovine paratuberculosis (Johne's disease) in dairy cattle in Seosan-Taean area. From February to August in 2009, 254 M.RT. samples were collected from 57 farms in the regions and enzyme immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA) was conducted. Among 254 samples, 13 (5.1%) M.R.T. samples of 3 (5.2%) farms were positive by ELISA. In regional analysis, 1 (3.1%) of 34 farms in Seasan and 2 (8.6%) of 23 farms in Taean were positive in ELISA. According to the raising scale of dairy farms, the farm with below 30 heads showed the higher positive rate (2 out of 3 positive farms) than the farms with over 30 heads (1 out of 3 positive farms).