Project Details
Description
JD is a chronic granulomatous inflammatory intestinal disease of ruminants that results from infection with Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (M. paratuberculosis). First identified over a century ago, JD results in more than $200 million in annual losses to the United States (US) dairy industry each year with additional losses incurred by the other species. The growing recognition of M. paratuberculosis infection in wildlife species is also of considerable concern. Similarly, recent evidence of the presence of M. paratuberculosis in retail milk sources is of concern from a milk quality and potential food safety standpoint. JD remains a major concern for producers with very high prevalence rates (68% of all US dairy herds and 95% of those with over 500 cows have at least one JD positive animal. There have been considerable ongoing efforts made to identify knowledge gaps, define research priorities, and develop recommendations for implementing JD control measures in the field. For instance, a report from the National Research Council of the US National Academies of Sciences on JD concluded that JD is a significant animal-health problem whose study and control deserves high priority from the USDA. It was recognized that the problems associated with JD stem from: (i) difficulties in diagnosis because of an unusually long incubation period and a lack of specific and sensitive diagnostic tests for detecting early infections; (ii) a lack of vaccines or other effective measures for infection control; and, (iii) general lack of awareness of the disease and its true economic and animal-health consequences by producers and veterinarians. The goals of this project are to help address some of these unmet needs.
Status | Finished |
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Effective start/end date | 10/1/12 → 9/30/17 |
Funding
- National Institute of Food and Agriculture