Prevalence and associated risk factors for Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in dairy cattle in Mexico

The purpose of this study is to determine the seroprevalence and the associated risk factors to Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis. A total of 4,487 serum samples were collected from cattle in 173 farms from different parts of Mexico. Information about potential risk factors and spatial location of the farms was obtained through a questionnaire to farm´ owners and by global positioning system (GPS) apparatus respectively. An enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) kit was used to detect the presence of antibodies against paratuberculosis (MAP). Maps showing areas of high risk of MAP and maps showing areas with environmental conditions for the presence of paratuberculosis were elaborated with Maxent. The overall prevalence of the disease was 5%. The higher seroprevalence was in family run systems (11.3%). The spatial analysis showed higher prevalence (6%) in the South Pacific region. Three factors had a significant relationship with prevalence of the disease: history of tuberculosis, grazing in open fields and belonging to the family run system.   Key words: Mycobacterium, paratuberculosis, dairy cattle, seroprevalence, Mexico.