Natural paratuberculosis infection in rabbits in Scotland

Natural paratuberculosis infection of rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) was r ecently diagnosed in Scotland, and an investigation into the pathology of t he disease in wild rabbits is reported in this paper. Evidence of Mycobacte rium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (M.a. paratuberculosis) infection was de tected in 22% of 110 rabbits: the organism was cultured from 17 of 110 rabb its, Land histopathological lesions consistent with many. paratuberculosis infection were noted in 18 of 98 rabbits examined. No macroscopical lesions suggestive of M.a. paratuberculosis infection were observed. The histopath ological le,ions were either severe or mild. Severe lesions consisted of ex tensive macrophage granulomata and numerous giant cells, with many intracel lular acid-fast bacteria in the small intestine. For the examination formal in-fixed, paraffin wax-embedded tissues, neither immunohistochemistry nor t he polymerase chain reaction was as sensitive a method of diagnosis as hist opathology. (C) 2001 Harcourt Publishers, Ltd.