Potential cure for Johne’s Disease over a decade away

WHILE the link between Crohn’s Disease and Johne’s Disease — a bacterial disease that affects cows and cattle —has been speculated about for over 100 years, it’s unlikely animals will ever be fully cured of the Johne’s Disease bacteria ( pictured below).

Johne’s specialist Professor Michael Collins of the University of Wisconsin told the Farming Independent that both Crohn’s and Johne’s contain Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP).

“People with Crohn’s disease commonly, but not always, harbour MAP: It can be detected but is not readily seen under the microscope, which is a conundrum,” said Prof Collins. “MAP infects a wide array of animal species including pigs – the closest animal model of the human gastro-intestinal tract.”

While some people have been fully cured of Crohn’s or at least successfully treated for it, Prof Collins feels there are too many barriers that will prevent this happening for animals.

“Johne’s Disease in animals probably will never be treated because the drugs are too expensive and the drugs are illegal for use in food-producing animals,” he says.

“That said, some researchers are exploring novel therapies, but these are a decade or more away from reality.”

According to Prof Collins Crohn’s seems to be spreading rapidly around the world “following the pattern of an infectious disease”. This is in line with current trends for Johne’s Disease.

The spread of Johne’s in cattle herds globally has continued at an alarming rate in recent years, with estimates of infection levels at between 20pc and 50pc in intensive dairy regions.