First Pathological, Molecular and Serological Investigation of Ovine Johne's Disease (Paratuberculosis) in Northeastern Algeria

Paratuberculosis (PTCB) or Johne's disease (JD) caused by a slow growing acid fast bacillus Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), is an infectious of many species including humans. The responsible for important economic losses to livestock industry worldwide. Although the widespread, it had not been studied in Algerian sheep. In this study we inspected presence infection sheep (aged 2 years old older) using histopathology and IS900-PCR techniques randomly 378 tissues (ileum, ileoceacale valve lymph nodes) fecal samples. Gross lesions were detected 16 (4%) Histopathological examination revealed pathognomonic JD 61 (14%) animals. Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining tissue samples was positive 28 (7%) cases. MAP-DNA 34 (9%) 14 animals tested antibodies against MAP. This showed that only ovine present Algeria but infected are excreting bacteria feces. could be significant threat other ruminants Other studies should carried out order better understand prevalence molecular epidemiology MAP country.