{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,8]],"date-time":"2026-10-08T13:37:53Z","timestamp":1791466673621,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"18","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,15]],"date-time":"2025-09-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1757894400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell\u2019Emilia-Romagna","award":["AUTOFIN_TESTDIAGNOST E53C22002710005"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["AUTOFIN_TESTDIAGNOST E53C22002710005"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Paratuberculosis or Johne\u2019s disease is caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). The disease is characterized by a chronic and incurable enteritis in ruminants and it is responsible for significant economic losses, also raising concerns about food safety and animal welfare. Effective control is hindered by diagnostic limitations, long incubation periods, and the environmental resistance of the pathogen. This study aimed to reduce the apparent prevalence of paratuberculosis in a single intensive dairy herd through an integrated approach that combines diagnostics and management strategies. All cows over 24 months of age were tested using both fecal PCR and ELISA serology. Digital PCR (dPCR) was used to quantify MAP shedding in fecal-positive animals, enabling prioritization for removal based on environmental contamination risk. Integrating diagnostic tools allowed the precise identification and quantification of high-risk animals. Meanwhile, structural improvements and biosecurity measures were implemented on the farm. Preliminary outcomes suggest a marked reduction in herd-level MAP prevalence, lowering the seroprevalence from 7.6% to 4.5% and the fecal PCR prevalence from 6.5% to 2.8%. This case highlights the effectiveness of combining laboratory testing (serology and molecular diagnostics) and targeted changes in farm management to control paratuberculosis in high-density dairy systems.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani15182695","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,15]],"date-time":"2025-09-15T10:51:33Z","timestamp":1757933493000},"page":"2695","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["The Results After One Year of an Experimental Protocol Aimed at Reducing Paratuberculosis in an Intensive Dairy Herd"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5214-0334","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anita","family":"Filippi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"National Reference Center for Paratuberculosis, Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna (IZSLER), \u201cBruno Ubertini\u201d, Diagnostic Section of Piacenza, Via Strada Della Faggiola 1, 29027 Podenzano, PC, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-2800-0133","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giordano","family":"Ventura","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna (IZSLER), \u201cBruno Ubertini\u201d, Diagnostic Section of Cremona, Via Cardinale Guglielmo Massaia 7, 26100 Cremona, CR, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Antonella","family":"Lamontanara","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA)\u2014Research Centre for Genomics & Bioinformatics, Via S. Protaso 302, 29017 San Protaso, PC, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Luigi","family":"Orr\u00f9","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA)\u2014Research Centre for Genomics & Bioinformatics, Via S. Protaso 302, 29017 San Protaso, PC, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1122-8628","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fabio","family":"Ostanello","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40064 Ozzano dell\u2019Emilia, BO, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Riccardo","family":"Frontoni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40064 Ozzano dell\u2019Emilia, BO, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Laura","family":"Mazzera","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Risk Analysis and Genomic Epidemiology Unit, Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna (IZSLER), Via dei Mercati 13\/A, 43126 Parma, PR, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Edoardo","family":"Tuccia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Bovine Practitioner, 26900 Lodi, LO, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4923-0216","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Matteo","family":"Ricchi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Reference Center for Paratuberculosis, Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna (IZSLER), \u201cBruno Ubertini\u201d, Diagnostic Section of Piacenza, Via Strada Della Faggiola 1, 29027 Podenzano, PC, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8629-7102","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Chiara","family":"Garbarino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Reference Center for Paratuberculosis, Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna (IZSLER), \u201cBruno Ubertini\u201d, Diagnostic Section of Piacenza, Via Strada Della Faggiola 1, 29027 Podenzano, PC, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6945","DOI":"10.3168\/jds.2023-24626","article-title":"Global losses due to dairy cattle diseases: A comorbidity-adjusted economic analysis","volume":"107","author":"Rasmussen","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. 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