Autor(es): Matos, Ana Cristina ; Figueira, Luis ; Martins, Maria Helena ; Cardoso, Luís ; Matos, Manuela ; Pinto, Maria de Lurdes ; Coelho, Ana Cláudia
Data: 2024
Identificador Persistente: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.11/9269
Origem: Repositório Científico do Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco
Assunto(s): Epidemiology; Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis; Wild boar
Paratuberculosis, or Johne’s disease, caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), is a chronic granulomatous enteritis affecting both domestic and wild ruminants. The agent was also found in wild mammals such as wild boar (Sus scrofa); however, the role of wild mammals in the epidemiology of MAP is unclear. During the research period, 941 free-ranging wild boar (S. scrofa) legally hunted in two locations in the central–eastern region of Portugal were examined. Ninety-seven wild boars exhibited one or more gross lesions and were tested for the presence of mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis using acid-fast staining, mycobacterial culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and histopathological examination. Forty-five animals (46.4%, 95% CI: 36.5–56.3%) were identified as infected, as indicated by positive results in culture and/or PCR. The findings revealed that the most significant risk factor was being a juvenile compared to yearlings and adults (OR = 10.2, 95% CI: 2.2–48.0). Based on our results, 37.9% (n = 11) of the infected animals were considered suitable for human consumption. Our findings offer novel insights into mycobacterial infections in wild boar populations in Portugal and suggest that wild boar could be a source of human infection if zoonotic potential is considered.
