Paratuberculosis in a free living red deer (Cervus elaphus hippelaphus) from Vorarlberg

Paratuberculosis in an eight year old free living red deer stag from the re gion Vorarlberg is reported. For a period of several weeks in January the e maciated stag was detected with symptoms of diarrhea near a feeding station . The animal was shot and a post mortem examination performed. Pathomorphol ogical lesions, acid-fast organisms detected in faeces and smears from the intestinal mucosa, the growth of Ziehl-Neelsen-positive bacteria on media c ontaining mycobactin, and serological positive results revealed an infectio n with Mycobacterium avium supsp. paratuberculosis.