New diagnostic tool for detection of Johne's Disease

According to some experts' estimates, up to a third of Germany's dairy livestock is infected with paratuberculosis (also known as Johne's Disease). Dutch scientists estimate the economic loss caused by one animal infected with Johne's Disease is approximately is an element of 900/year Paratuberculosis is an incurable disease for which there is no effective treatment or reliable vaccination. In Germany, it is categorised as a reportable though not notifiable epidemic. Until now, the only way to achieve a disease free herd was by means of rehabilitation of the infected stock, which requires intensive and costly hygiene procedures and herd management. The basis for this is reliable and effective diagnostics. Up until now, the detection of mycobacteria through culture took 12 to 16 weeks. A new screening method based on molecular technology (real-time PCR) and recently approved by the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute for use in Germany, screens the faeces for MAP-DNA and has a higher sensitivity than ELISA. It allows the earliest possible identification of the excretion status after only a few hours and thereby enables early implementation of rehabilitation measures and reduction in economic losses.