The prevalence of MAP infection in farms of three elite breeds of goats and sheep was found to be 30.6%, (goats-27.6% and sheep-36.0%) by fecal culture. Sheep farms recorded higher MAP infection as compared to goats. MAP infection was higher at the farm (Jamunapari and Muzaffarnagari) located at Mathura as compared to the other farms (Jamunapari goat farm at Etawah and Bharat Merino sheep farm at Mannavanur). The study for the first time reported moderate MAP infection in farm of Bharat Merino sheep located in Southern India. The specificity of kit 1 was found to be superior to kit 2 and may be employed as a ‘single screening test’ kit for the diagnosis of MAP infection. Breed-wise rate of MAP infection was observed to be 27.6, 16.4, 28.3 and 8.9% in goats while it was 36.0, 16.0, 22.6 and 12.0% in sheep by using fecal culture, kit 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The fecal culture was more sensitive than the three ELISA kits used for the estimation of MAP infection. The results indicate that the ‘Modified indigenous kit’ (kit 1) has a potential to be graded as the first cost-effective native kit for the diagnosis of MAP infection in goats and sheep with sensitivity and specificity comparable to the ‘imported kits’.
Bharat Merino, Culture, ELISA, Goats, Jamunapari, Johne's disease, Muzaffarnagari, Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis, Sheep
