Epidemiological study of paratuberculosis in wild rabbits in Scotland

A survey of 22 farms confirmed the presence of paratuberculosis in wild rab bits in Scotland. Regional differences were apparent in the prevalence of t he disease in rabbits, with a significantly higher incidence occurring in t he Tayside region. Statistical analysis showed a significant relationship b etween a previous history or current problem of paratuberculosis in cattle and the presence of paratuberculosis in rabbits on the farms. Molecular gen etic typing techniques could not discriminate between selected rabbit and c attle isolates from the same or different farms, suggesting that the same s train may infect and cause disease in both species and that interspecies tr ansmission may occur. The possibility of interspecies transmission and the involvement of wildlife in the epidemiology of paratuberculosis have import ant implications for the control of the disease.