Use of a polymerase chain reaction to subtype<i>Mycobacterium avium</i>subspecies<i>paratuberculosis</i>, an increasingly important pathogen from farmed deer in New Zealand

Abstract

Since 2000, there has been a substantial increase in both the number of microbiologically-confirmed cases of Johne's disease in farmed deer and the number of infected herds. Johne's disease is now widespread and common in deer herds throughout New Zealand. Whilst the bovine subtype of M. paratuberculosis predominates in deer herds in New Zealand in which Johne's disease has been confirmed, the occasional finding of the ovine subtype highlights the need to consider both sheep and cattle as potential sources of infection for farmed deer.