Paratuberculosis in Camel (Camelus dromedarius): The Diagnostic Efficiency of ELISA and PCR

The camel paratuberculosis in Saudi Arabia was widely documented. ELISA and PCR were employed to exploit their feasibility for control of the MAP infection in Saudi Arabia. Ruminant ELISA test was used for the screening of 861 serum samples that were collected from three different age groups, 1-4 years (young age), 5-9 years (middle age) and 10-15 years (old age). Only 29 samples were revealed as ELISA positive in which 14 samples were from the young age group. PCR analysis was carried out mainly on the fecal samples that were collected from young age group and all the ELISA positive samples of other groups. PCR detected only 97 positive samples out of 310 tested samples. PCR detected more positive samples in the young age group than ELISA (29% of 276 young age samples). The ELISA proved effective as a screening tool for MAP infection in camel; however its sensitivity in the young group is skeptical. PCR on the other hand, is effective only as supportive test to the ELISA due to the great variations in the pattern of MAP shedding. Hence, ELISA and PCR were shown feasible for control of the MAP infection, but ELISA was not prudent in the early detection of the infection. Attempt to isolate the camel MAP for its genotyping was not successful despite the incubation for more than 10 weeks.