Mycobacterial Diseases
Open Access

Abstract

Effectiveness of Clinoptilolite Zeolite for Mycobacterium avium subsp. Paratuberculosis (MAP) Control in Dairy Slurry

C Avilez, C Verdugo, O Martinez, C Encina, F Salazar, M Alfaro, MT Collins and M Salgado

The use of slurry as a fertilizer on grassland efficiently spreads infectious agents. Among those using the fecal– oral way of transmission, Mycobacterium avium subsp. Para tuberculosis (MAP) represents an interesting pathogen model to be studied in slurry management systems. In order to fulfill the requirements of a practical control implementation, we aimed to investigate the effect of natural zeolite on MAP viability and concentration in dairy cattle naturally contaminated slurry. MAP viability and number in dairy cattle slurry following a physical separation treatment was estimated. A randomized block design constituted by four separation phases of treated slurry (solid supernatant, liquid supernatant, zeolite with slurry, liquid residue) plus one control (not filtered) was used. To assess MAP detection, each obtained sample was evaluated by culture sampling along with MAP quantification. Zeolite+slurry treatment showed the lowest number of viable MAP. The zeolite-based treatments reduced significantly the survival of MAP in treated slurry. The results suggest that zeolite treatments using the zeolite filter may be an interesting alternative of MAP control in slurry. The use of zeolite treatments to control MAP, and maybe other pathogens too, seems promising, however further research is needed to understand and clarify the mechanisms that explain these results in detail.