Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis: a concern for the dairy industry

Abstract

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis is known as the etiologic agent of Johne's disease, or paratuberculosis, which affects mostly ruminants. M. paratuberculosis belongs to Mycobacteriaceae family, which also includes M. tuberculosis and M. bovis, human and cattle tuberculosis-causing species, respectively. It has been suggested that M. paratuberculosis could be involved at Crohn's disease pathogenesis, which has symptoms similar to paratuberculosis, but affects humans. As the microrganism may be excreted in the milk of infected animals, the first step was to assess its thermal resistance. Some studies showed that the bacterium could survive to heat treatment of HTST pasteurization (72ºC/15 s). However, until this moment, studies from scientific literature don't allow to state that M. paratuberculosis is responsible by Crohn's disease, as well as they show some doubts about its thermal resistance. More research about this microorganism is of great importance, with the goal of producing dairy products with absence of M. paratuberculosis contamination.