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ABSTRACT:The objective of this study was to determine the wildlife hosts of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) in the Czech Republic. A total of 8 796 wildlife animals were examined by culture of faecal or tissue samples during the years [2002][2003][2004][2005][2006][2007]. MAP was isolated from 12 (0.5%) out of 2 296 red deer (Cervus elaphus), two (0.2%) out of 835 roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), 78 (5.7%) out of 1 381 fallow deer (Dama dama), 28 (3.2%)out of 866 mouflons (Ovis musimon), four (2.5%) out of 162 chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) and from one (0.1%) out of 805 wild boar (Sus scrofa). MAP was not cultured from 82 badgers (Meles meles), 55 martens (Martes foina), one pine marten (Martes martes), 25 brown hares (Lepus europaeus), five rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), nine European polecats (Mustela putorius), two steppe polecats (Mustela eversmannii), two American minks (Mustela vison), four raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) and four Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra). MAP was isolated from three (2.0%) out of 149 small terrestrial mammals: one (5.9%) out of 17 brown rats (Rattus norvegicus), one (1.7%) out of 59 common voles (Microtus arvalis) and one (2.6%) out of 39 lesser white-toothed shrews (Crocidura suaveolens). Culture examinations of 34 house mice (Mus musculus) and 2 113 pigeons (Columba livia f. domestica) were negative. All 123 in vitro growing MAP isolates from wild ruminants were of IS900 RFLP type B-C1. One mouflon infected with a MAP strain which did not grow on the tested media was after IS1311-PRA-PCR assessed as being infected with a "sheep" strain. The RFLP type of the MAP isolate from the wild boar was of the RFLP type A-C10. Although the detection of MAP in wildlife in the Czech Republic was not very high, their role as a potential risk factor for cattle should be considered.

A total of 842 wild boar of differing ages, originating from 29 (37.7%) of the 77 districts in the Czech Republic, were examined during the hunting seasons from 2002 to 2005. Of them, 274 (32.5%) of the animals were wild specimens and 568 (67.5%) from game parks. Out of 786 animals, the following were included in the study: 668 piglets, 61 juveniles, 32 adult males and 25 adult females. A total of 2 704 samples from various tissues and faeces were examined: 309 separately collected faecal samples from 309 (36.7%) animals, 2 332 samples from various tissues and 63 faecal samples from 533 (63.3%) animals. Mycobacteria were isolated from 75 (8.9%) animals from 11 of the districts. Neither a causative agent of bovine tuberculosis, nor any other members of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex were isolated from any of the animals. From one (0.1%) animal, M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis of IS900 RFLP type A-C10 was isolated from intestinal lymph nodes, which was also isolated within the same district during other studies of cattle and free living ruminants. The causative agent of avian tuberculosis, M. a. avium (IS901+ and IS1245+), was isolated from 7 (0.8%) animals; among them tuberculous lesions were detected in intestinal lymph nodes, with gross tuberculous lesions visible on two animals. The causative agent of avian mycobacteriosis M. a. hominissuis (IS901– and IS1245+) was detected in lymph nodes without gross lesions in one (0.1%) animal. From 45 (5.5%) animals without lesions, atypical mycobacteria of the following nine species were isolated from pulmonary lymph nodes, small and large intestine, intestinal mucosa and faeces: M. fortuitum, M. chelonae, M. scrofulaceum, M. triviale, M. terrae, M. phlei, M. abscessus, M. flavescens, and M. smegmatis. Due to a high density of wild boar and their large migration radius, they can be viewed as a potential source for mycobacterial infections as well as other infectious agents.

The prevalence of Lawsonia intracellularis between wild boar (Sus scrofa) and fallow deer (Dama dama) bred in one game reserve was investigated using the nested PCR method. In the study, 88 clinically healthy wild boars of different age categories and two fallow deer bagged in the game reserve were examined. Lawsonia intracellularis was demonstrated in the mucous membrane of the intestine of eight (9.1%) wild boars and one fallow deer. Of the nine wild boar whose tissues of corresponding lymph nodes were examined in addition to the mucous membrane of the ileum, one tested positive for the microorganism. A relationship between the occurrence of L. intracellularis and age of wild boar was demonstrated. Because wild boar and fallow deer are bred together in one game reserve, the possibility of inter-species transfer of L. intracellularis should be borne in mind.

During a five year period (2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004), the incidence of bovine and human tuberculosis in cattle and other animals from six Central European countries was evaluated: Croatia (HRV), the Czech Republic (CZE), Hungary (HUN), Poland (POL), Slovakia (SVK), and Slovenia (SVN). These countries, lying between the Baltic and the Adriatic seas, cover an area of 610 402 km 2 and had more than 68 million inhabitants and 9 330 264 cattle in 2003. Successful national control programmes against bovine tuberculosis in cattle were carried out up until