Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 2, 2025
Heuristic Mining of Hierarchical Genotypes and Accessory Genome Loci in Bacterial Populations
Published on: December 7, 2021
High clonality of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis field isolates from red deer revealed by two different
Silvia Turco1, Simone Russo2, Daniele Pietrucci3
1Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali (DAFNE), Università degli Studi della Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy.
Abstract:
Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is the aetiological agent of paratuberculosis (Johne's disease) in both domestic and wild ruminants. In the present study, using a whole-genome sequence (WGS) approach, we investigated the genetic diversity of 15 Mycobacterium avium field strains isolated in the last 10 years from red deer inhabiting the Stelvio National Park and affected by paratuberculosis. Combining de novo assembly and a reference-based method, followed by a pangenome analysis, we highlight a very close relationship among 13 MAP field isolates, suggesting that a single infecting event occurred in this population. Moreover, two isolates have been classified as Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis, distinct from the other MAPs under comparison but close to each other. This is the first time that this subspecies has been found in Italy in samples without evident epidemiological correlations, having been isolated in two different locations of the Stelvio National Park and in different years. Our study highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary approach incorporating molecular epidemiology and ecology into traditional infectious disease knowledge in order to investigate the nature of infectious disease in wildlife populations.
Insights
Whole-genome sequencing revealed a single Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) infection event in red deer in Stelvio National Park. Two Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis isolates were also identified, marking the first detection in Italy.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Microbiology
- Genomics
- Wildlife Epidemiology
Background:
- Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) causes paratuberculosis (Johne's disease) in ruminants.
- Wildlife populations can act as reservoirs for infectious diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the genetic diversity of Mycobacterium avium strains in red deer from Stelvio National Park.
- To identify the source and spread of paratuberculosis in this wildlife population.
Main Methods:
- Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of 15 Mycobacterium avium field isolates.
- De novo assembly and reference-based genome assembly.
- Pangenome analysis.
Main Results:
- Thirteen of the 15 isolates were identified as MAP, showing high genetic similarity, suggesting a single introduction event.
- Two isolates were classified as Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis, genetically distinct from the MAP isolates.
- This is the first report of Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis in Italy, found in separate locations and years without clear epidemiological links.
Conclusions:
- A single MAP introduction likely seeded the paratuberculosis outbreak in the Stelvio National Park red deer population.
- The presence of M. avium subsp. hominissuis highlights the complexity of Mycobacterium avium diversity in wildlife.
- A multidisciplinary approach combining molecular epidemiology and ecology is crucial for understanding wildlife infectious diseases.
More Related Videos
07:42A Novel Microdissection Approach to Recovering Mycobacterium tuberculosis Specific Transcripts from Formalin Fixed Paraffin Embedded Lung Granulomas
Published on: June 5, 2014
09:43Subtyping of Campylobacter jejuni ssp. doylei Isolates Using Mass Spectrometry-based PhyloProteomics MSPP
Published on: October 30, 2016
