Detection of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis genetic components in retail cheese curds purchased in Wisconsin and Minnesota by PCR

• Published in: Molecular and cellular probes Vol. 20; no. 3; pp. 197 - 202
• Main Authors: Clark Jr, Dorn L., Anderson, Jennifer L., Koziczkowski, Jeff J., Ellingson, Jay L.E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2006
• Subjects: Animals; Cattle; Cheese - microbiology; Colony Count, Microbial; DNA Primers - genetics; DNA, Bacterial - genetics; Food Contamination - analysis; Food Microbiology; Minnesota; Mycobacterium avium; Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis - genetics; Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis - growth & development; Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis - isolation & purification; Paratuberculosis; Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Retail cheese curds; Sterilization; Wisconsin; Minnesota; Wisconsin; Minnesota; Paratuberculosis; Retail cheese curds; MAP; Wisconsin
• ISSN: 0890-8508; 1096-1194
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mcp.2005.12.006

Research has been focused on the detection of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) in pasteurized milk; however, pasteurized milk is a key ingredient in a variety of food products. Therefore, MAP contamination in milk-derived products must be investigated. We undertook a six-month study to investigate the presence of viable MAP and MAP genetic components in cheese curds purchased from retail outlets in the northern and southern regions of Wisconsin and Minnesota. A total of 98 retail cheese curd samples were tested for MAP by PCR prescreen, culture on Herrold's egg yolk agar slants with mycobactin J and amphoteracin B, naladixic acid, and vancomycin, and slant rinse PCR using IS 900 and hspX primer sets. Although no viable MAP were able to be cultured, 5% of the samples were PCR positive with both the IS 900 and hspX primer sets (MAP-specific DNA) when prescreened and 1% of the samples were PCR positive with both the IS 900 and hspX primer sets when culture slants were rinsed and tested.