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Bovine Paratuberculosis and Human Crohn’s Disease—Is There a Zoonotic Linkage?

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Zoonoses - Infections Affecting Humans and Animals

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Abstract

Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is an acid-fast bacterium, which causes paratuberculosis, an infectious enteric disease of ruminants, also called Johne’s disease (JD). Since the publication by Thomas Kennedy Dalziel in the year 1913 MAP has been discussed as probable causative agent of Morbus Crohn (syn. Crohn’s Disease (CD)), an inflammatory disease of the human intestinal tract. Here we describe the history, etiology, diagnosis, clinical and epidemiological aspects of paratuberculosis and CD to elucidate the role of MAP in the pathogenesis of CD. The theory still remains open for controversial discussion and future studies are needed to find a final conclusion. At the moment, however, there is not enough evidence to convincingly demonstrate that MAP is the etiological agent for CD.

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  1. LGL, Oberschleißheim, Germany

    Erdmute Neuendorf Vet & Nikolaus Ackerman MD

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  1. Erdmute Neuendorf Vet
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Correspondence to Erdmute Neuendorf Vet .

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  1. Dept. of Infectiology, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleißheim, Bayern, Germany

    Andreas Sing

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Neuendorf, E., Ackerman, N. (2015). Bovine Paratuberculosis and Human Crohn’s Disease—Is There a Zoonotic Linkage?. In: Sing, A. (eds) Zoonoses - Infections Affecting Humans and Animals. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9457-2_43

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