Original scientific paper
Assessment of Sources of Exposure for Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in Food and Wate
Biljana Mihajlovic
; Microbiology Evaluation Division, Bureau of Microbial Hazards, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Health Canada, Canada
Mark Klassen
; Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, Canada
Susan Springthorpe
; Centre for Research on Environmental Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Canada
Hélène Couture
; Microbiology Evaluation Division, Bureau of Microbial Hazards, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Health Canada, Canada
Jeff Farber
; Microbiology Evaluation Division, Bureau of Microbial Hazards, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Health Canada, Canada
Abstract
Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis
(MAP) is believed to be the causative agent of
paratuberculosis (Johne’s disease) in ruminants. MAP
infection has also been proposed as the cause of Crohn’s
disease (CD) in humans. An increasing number of recent
studies suggest some association between MAP and CD,
however a cause‐effect relationship has yet to be proved
or disproved. Infected cattle appear to be the most
important source of human exposure to MAP, and the
associated suspected vehicles of transmission are milk,
dairy products and beef.
Other possible routes of human exposure to MAP are via
contaminated water supplies, vegetables and fruits.
A low level survival of MAP has been demonstrated in
some surveys of commercially pasteurized milk and retail
cheese in several countries outside Canada. Viable MAP
has been identified in 1.6‐2.9% of pasteurized retail milk
and 3.6% of retail cheese samples in several countries. In
addition, viable MAP has been found in the intestine and
associated lymph tissues of diseased animals as well as in
organs other than the gut. The primary purpose of this
article is to review the recent scientific evidence on the
potential human exposure to MAP via foods and water
Keywords
Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis; food; water
Hrčak ID:
76925
URI
Publication date:
15.12.2011.
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