{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,9]],"date-time":"2026-09-09T11:10:26Z","timestamp":1788952226899,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,9]],"date-time":"2026-09-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788912000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      The hypothesis that\n                      <jats:italic>Mycobacterium avium<\/jats:italic>\n                      subsp.\n                      <jats:italic>paratuberculosis<\/jats:italic>\n                      (MAP) is a zoonotic pathogen has gained traction with the repeated isolation of MAP from patients with Crohn\u2019s disease. As consumption of contaminated milk and dairy products represents a primary suspected route for human exposure to MAP, this study was designed to investigate the presence of MAP in retail milk sold in Kampala, Uganda\u2019s Capital and central hub for the nation\u2019s milk distribution.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      A total of 772 milk samples were collected and analysed sequentially using two molecular assays targeting the\n                      <jats:italic>IS900<\/jats:italic>\n                      gene sequence, with positive findings validated by DNA sequencing. To determine MAP viability, samples were cultured on Herrold\u2019s egg yolk media (HEYM) slants supplemented with selective antibiotics and mycobactin J.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>MAP DNA was confirmed by nested PCR and subsequent sequencing in 2.3% of the samples, with equal frequencies in pasteurized and unpasteurized milk. Additionally, one raw milk sample demonstrated viable MAP growth by culture.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The findings of contamination of commercial milk with MAP in the Uganda\u2019s Capital aligns with the reported prevalence of cattle paratuberculosis in the country and underscore the need for rigorous protocols for preparation of milk and dairy products to reduce contaminating viable pathogenic bacteria including MAP. Consequently, more efforts toward control of paratuberculosis in livestock are required to mitigate possible public health risks through foodborne pathogens.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1931886","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,9]],"date-time":"2026-09-09T10:16:54Z","timestamp":1788949014000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Molecular detection and culture of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in pasteurized and raw retail milk in Kampala, Uganda"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Judah","family":"Ssekitoleko","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University","place":["Kampala, Uganda"]},{"name":"Department of Livestock Health Research, Rwebitaba Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute, National Agricultural Research Organisation","place":["Entebbe, Uganda"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Auruga Christine","family":"Akello","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University","place":["Kampala, Uganda"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shariifah","family":"Kasinga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University","place":["Kampala, Uganda"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Magid","family":"Kisekka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University","place":["Kampala, Uganda"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paula Emily","family":"Schweizer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, Leipzig University","place":["Leipzig, Germany"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lonzy","family":"Ojok","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University","place":["Kampala, Uganda"]},{"name":"Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Gulu University","place":["Gulu, Uganda"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kamal H.","family":"Eltom","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, Leipzig University","place":["Leipzig, Germany"]},{"name":"Department of Animal Health and Safety of Animal Products, Institute for Studies and Promotion of Animal Exports, University of Khartoum","place":["Shambat, Khartoum North, Sudan"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Uwe","family":"Truyen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, Leipzig University","place":["Leipzig, Germany"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ahmed","family":"Abd El Wahed","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, Leipzig University","place":["Leipzig, Germany"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Julius Boniface","family":"Okuni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University","place":["Kampala, Uganda"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"187","DOI":"10.3389\/fvets.2017.00187","article-title":"Pathogenesis, molecular genetics, and genomics of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, the etiologic agent of Johne's disease","volume":"4","author":"Rathnaiah","year":"2017","journal-title":"Front Vet Sci"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"896","DOI":"10.1136\/gut.2004.055889","article-title":"Does Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis cause Crohn\u2019s disease?","volume":"54","author":"Sartor","year":"2005","journal-title":"Gut"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1057","DOI":"10.1017\/S0950268807008448","article-title":"Epidemiological evidence for Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis as a cause of Crohn's 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