Prevalence of subclinical paratuberculosis in dairy cattle in uşak area

Paratuberculosis (pTB) caused by Mycobacterium avium subs. paratuberculosis (MAP) a chronic, inflammatory and fatal disease of ruminants. The infection is characterized by chronic "subclinic" phase. Cattle in this phase is capable of infecting other animals in the herd. pTB particularly in dairy milk industry one of the causes associated with financial losses. MAP possible cause of Crohn?s disease in human, is also important due to zoonotic potentials. Animals with subclinic pTB are a major concern because they tend to contaminate healhty invuduals in Turkey. Although the presence of pTB is has beeen known, the scientific studies on the disease and the prevalance appears to be scarce. There is no scientific report on prevalance of the disease in dairy cattle in Usak region. In this study, it was aimed to determine the prevalence of subclinic pTB in dairy cattle farming in Usak region. In feaces and milk samples using direct bacterioscopy tecnique and Ziehl-Neelsen staining and in positive samples by culturing and PCR (outer and nested). MAP was determined in the study a total of 200 holstein dairy catlle aged between 3-7 years clinically healty with optimum milk yield and BCS were used. In Usak region in dairy cattle the prevalance of pTB was determined to be 17% by Ziehl-Neelsen 9.5% by other PCR and 20% Nested PCR in feaces; 4% according to bacterologic culture results; 15.5% by Ziehl-Neelsen, 5.5% by outher PCR and 17.5% by Nested PCR in milk samples and 2.5% according to Bacteriologic culture resuts. In conclusion; the prevalance values analized by PCR techniques in feaces and milk samples in dairy cattle in Usak region was determined to be higher compared to those in other regions of Turkey