Paratuberculosis study in a sheep flock of la sabana de bogotá by using three diagnostic techniques

Abstract

The present work was carried out in a sheep farm of la Sabana de Bogotá, where the purpose of this research was to make a paratuberculosis study in that flock aiming to diagnose by three diagnostic techniques the Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis presence. It was used 250 ovine females of San Jorge Experimental Farm – ICA, where a pheces sample were taken from each animal and by Zielh Neelsen’s stain it was stablished the presence of acid fast bacilli. Then, it was made the tuberculinization process (PPD AVIAR® SAGAR B – 0653-034) to the entire population of female sheep and finally, it was carried out a serology test (ELISA Pourquier®). From the stool sample, only 10 was positive where 4 of them were questionable. In the skin test it was found that 16 animals were positive due to a reaction ≥ to 5 mm, however, 3 of them were suspicious due to meterings < to 5 mm. In the ELISA test only 2 animals were positive. In adition, it was followed up a case of an animal that resulted positive to all techniques, also to histophatology and necropsy, confirming the presence of the disease. The findings suggest the need of several tests for a successful diagnose of paratuberculosis with the purpose of set the status and distribution of the disease in the flock.