What is Paratuberculosis?

Paratuberculosis, also known as Johne’s disease, is a chronic, contagious bacterial disease

of the intestinal tract that primarily affects sheep and cattle (most commonly seen in dairy cattle), goats as well as other ruminant species. The disease has also been reported in horses, pigs, deer, alpaca, llama, rabbits, stoat, fox, and weasel. Paratuberculosis is characterized by a slowly progressive wasting of the animal and increasingly severe diarrhoea.

The disease is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (M. paratuberculosis). It was fi rst described over 100 years ago in Germany.

Paratuberculosis is a disease listed under the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) Terrestrial Animal Health Code. Identifi cation of this disease is notifiable and must be reported to the OIE (OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code).