Genome of Cow Disease May Aid Crohn’s Study

Minnesota researchers have mapped the genome of the livestock disease Johne’s, an advance that could lead to a greater understanding of a similar illness in humans, the U.S. Agriculture Department said this week.

Scientists have debated whether the bovine intestinal disease is related to the human Crohn’s disease because infected animals and humans suffer similar symptoms -- diarrhea, weight loss and inflamed digestive tracts. The Johne’s bacterium, Mycobacterium paratuberculosis, is found in some but not all Crohn’s patients.

One in every five U.S. herds is believed to be infected with Johne’s, an incurable disease that costs the dairy industry an estimated $200 million each year. It can infect cattle, sheep, deer and goats.

The breakthrough means scientists can focus on making an effective vaccine, USDA microbiologist John P. Bannantine said. Many veterinarians consider vaccines already on the market unreliable.