What is Johne’s Disease?
Johne’s (pronounced Yo-knees) Disease is a slow, progressive disease of adult cattle characterized by profuse, watery diarrhea and weight loss or “wasting” (Figure 1). It is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, also known as “MAP”. This disease begins when calves (not adult cattle) are infected with MAP-contaminated colostrum, milk, feed or water, most often around the time of birth. Once MAP enters a calf, the organism lives permanently within the…
