Does Johnes disease occur in wildlife and is there a threat to wild elk and deer from infected farmed elk?
Yes, wild elk and deer can become infected with M. paratuberculosis and the infection has been shown to persist in wild herds. However, an elk or deer specific strain of M. paratuberculosis has not been identified. Elk and deer are infected by cattle and sheep strains. Given the estimated prevalence of Johne’s disease in domestic livestock versus specialized livestock, wildlife species are probably at greater risk from exposure to dairy cattle pastures than deer or elk farm pastures.
