COMPARISON OF IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY, ACID-FAST STAINING, AND CULTIVATION FOR DETECTION OF MYCOBACTERIUM-PARATUBERCULOSIS IN GOATS

Forty-seven paired specimens of ileum and mesenterial lymph nodes from goats originating from 2 herds with paratuberculosis were investigate d. Culture of the specimens for Mycobacterium paratuberculosis was com pared with Ziehl-Neelsen staining and with immunohistochemical tests o n paraffin-embedded tissue sections, using a M. paratuberculosis immun e serum and an avidin-biotin-alkaline phosphatase method. Immunohistoc hemical techniques detected most positive samples and produced more cl early visible reactions than did acid-fast staining. Eighteen of 47 sa mples were positive by immunohistochemical methods, whereas 15 and 10 were positive for acid-fast staining and culture, respectively. Immuno histochemical techniques may represent a valuable adjunct to standard techniques for diagnosis of paratuberculosis in goats.