Paratuberculosis (Johne's disease) occurs primarily in small and large ruminants and is caused by the acid-fast bacterium Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). MAP has been studied extensively in Europe and the United States of America. Recent reports from Africa stated that occurrence, distribution, risk factors and economic impacts have not been fully investigated and are therefore poorly understood. Despite the many reports of the disease presence in Africa, the list from World Health Organization (WHO) and World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) of neglected diseases

Map of the prevalence of paratuberculosis in Africa

enlarge the image: Karte Afrikas
Map of the prevalence of paratuberculosis in Africa as reported to the World Organization for Animal Health, formerly the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) and/or in publications. Okuni JB, Hansen S, Eltom KH,…

Project Objectives

  • Study on the occurrence of MAP in environment
  • Persistence of MAP in the farm environment in the Sudan and Uganda
  • Gut microbiome of animals infected with MAP
  • Host- Microbiota-MAP­ interactions
  • Identification of virulence factors of African MAP strains
  • Investigation of the biology of susceptibility and resistance of cattle to MAP

Team

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Team

Prof. Dr. Lonzy Ojok;Dr. Julius Boniface Okuni (PI Uganda);Judah Ssekitoleko

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Makerere University, Uganda

Makarere University, Uganda
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Team

Prof. Dr. Ahmed A Gameel;Dr. Kamal Eltom (PI Sudan);Wisal A. Elmagzoub;Sanaa M. Idris

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University of Khartoum, Sudan

University of Khartoum, Sudan
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Team

Prof. Dr. Abdelmonem Abdo;Dr. Elsagad Eltayeb (Human Study PI);Maha Isameldin;Dr. Nassir Arabi;Dr Salma Barkat;Dr Mustafa Awagelderb;Dr Hani Fathi All Khalil

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Ibn Sina Specialized Hospital, Khartoum

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Team

Prof. Dr. Ahmad Amanzada

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University Medicine Göttingen

Wappen der Universität Göttingen
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Team

Dr. Ahmed Abd El Wahed (Project Coordinator);Prof. Dr. Uwe Truyen

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University Leipzig

Wappen der Universität Leipzig
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Publications

Paratuberculosis: A Potential Zoonosis and a Neglected Disease in Africa.Okuni, J.B.; Hansen, S.; Eltom, K.H.; Eltayeb, E.; Amanzada, A.; Omega, J.A.; Czerny, C.P.; Abd El Wahed, A.; Ojok, L. Microorganisms 2020, 8, doi:10.3390/microorganisms8071007. 

Seroprevalence of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in Dairy Cattle in Khartoum State, Sudan. Elmagzoub WA, Adam NM, Idris SM, Mukhtar ME, Abdelaziz SA, Okuni JB, Ojok L, Abd El Wahed A, Eltayeb E, Gameel AA, Eltom KH. Vet Sci. 2020 Dec 21;7(4):209. doi: 10.3390/vetsci7040209.

Comprehensive Wet-Bench and Bioinformatics Workflow for Complex Microbiota Using Oxford Nanopore Technologies. Ammer-Herrmenau C, Pfisterer N, van den Berg T, Gavrilova I, Amanzada A, Singh SK, Khalil A, Alili R, Belda E, Clement K, Abd El Wahed A, Eltayeb E, Haubrock M, Beißbarth T, Ellenrieder V, Neesse A. mSystems. 2021 Aug 31;6(4): e0075021.

Paratuberculosis: The Hidden Killer of Small Ruminants. Idris, S.M.; Eltom, K.H.; Okuni, J.B.; Ojok, L.; Elmagzoub, W.A.; Abd El Wahed, A.A.; Eltayeb, E.; Gameel, A.A.  Animals 2022, 12, 12. doi.org/10.3390/ani12010012

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis Virulence: A Review. Ssekitoleko, J.; Ojok, L.; Abd El Wahed, A.; Erume, J.; Amanzada, A.; Eltayeb, E.; Eltom, K.H.; Okuni, J.B.  Microorganisms 2021, 9, 2623. doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9122623

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis and microbiome profile of patients in a referral gastrointestinal diseases centre in the Sudan. Wisal A Elmagzoub, Sanaa M Idris, Maha Isameldin, Nassir Arabi, Abdelmonem Abdo, Mustafa Ibrahim, Md Anik Ashfaq Khan, Franziska Tanneberger, Sahar M Bakhiet, Julius B Okuni, Lonzy Ojok, Ahmed A Gameel, Ahmed Abd El Wahed, Michaël Bekaert, Mohamed E Mukhtar, Ahmad Amanzada, Kamal H Eltom, ElSagad Eltayeb. PLOS One 2022, doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0266533

Paratuberculosis Colloquium 2022 - Dublin, Irland

enlarge the image: presentation of the latest findings
As part of the International Association for Paratuberculosis Colloquium, a delegation of our team from Uganda traveled to Dublin to exchange the latest findings with international colleagues, present results, and…

Winter school in Uganda between 09-19 February 2020

enlarge the image: Gruppenbild der Teilnehmer der winter school Uganda
A total of 26 students (1x Benin, 2x Cameroon, 2x Egypt, 1x Gabon, 2x Ghana, 2x Kenya, 2x Nigeria, 1x Rwanda, 1x Somalia, 1x Zambia, in addition to 5x Sudan and 6x Uganda) were invited to a winter school in Uganda…