Sampling location, herd size, and season influence Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis environmental culture results

Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), the etiologic agent of Johne's disease, a chronic progressive enteritis, is a common pathogen on dairy farms. Environmental sampling is frequently used to detect MAP-infected herds, because it does not require sample collection from individual animals. The objectives were to determine (1) location-specific odds of MAP-positive environmental sampling results and whether season or herd size affect results; (2) whether season and herd size affect the odds of collection of samples from certain locations; and (3) whether sample-set composition affects the odds of a positive set. Herd veterinarians, producer organization staff, and University of Calgary staff collected 5,588 samples on dairy farms in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Samples from sick-cow and calving pens and samples from dry-cow housing had lower odds of testing MAP-positive than lactating cow-pen samples (odds ratio = 0.3 and 0.4, respectively). Samples collected from bedding packs and manure piles were less frequently MAP-positive than those collected from alleyways and lagoons, whereas samples collected in spring and summer more often tested MAP-positive than those collected in winter. Sample sets collected in summer more often included samples from all locations than samples collected in winter; therefore, we inferred that collectors had difficulties accessing certain areas in winter. Substitution of sample locations with others had minor effect on the sensitivity of sample sets containing 6 samples. However, set composition had an effect on the sensitivity of sample sets containing only 2 samples. In that regard, whereas sets with 2 manure-storage-area samples detected 81% of farms with at least one positive environmental sample, sets with only dry, sick, or calving-pen samples detected only 59%. Environmental samples should be collected from areas where manure from numerous cows accumulates and can be well mixed (e.g., alleyways and manure lagoons). Collection of samples should be performed in spring or summer when locations are easier to access and samples have higher odds for testing MAP-positive.