Environmental contamination with Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis within and around a dairy barn under experimental conditions

Abstract

To establish environmental contamination in and around a dairy barn, cows shedding Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP) were housed in a freestall barn. Fecal samples were collected 15 times at 3-wk intervals, and samples of all animals were cultured by using the Trek Diagnostic Systems culture system (Cleveland, OH) to quantify levels of MAP shedding. In parallel, air and floor dust samples were collected inside and outside the experimental farm and analyzed by IS900 real-time PCR for the presence of MAP DNA. Inside the barn, MAP was detected with equal frequency in samples directly contaminated with feces compared with air dust samples above animal level and in dust samples of the corridor. Dust samples collected within the barn were positive more frequently than outside samples, with exception of the outside sample from the farmer's doormat. The risk of MAP exposure was distributed evenly within the dairy barn. Additionally, footwear should be considered as a high-risk fomite for dispersion of dust-related MAP outside the barn. Prevention of MAP exposure in youngstock may require housing of youngstock in separate barns as an additional management measure.