Mycobacterium avium
subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) is the
established cause of paratuberculosis in
ruminants (i.e., Johne disease). The bacterium
is shed in the milk of infected cows
and survives pasteurization. Recently, an
association between MAP and Crohn disease
has been suggested, wherein MAP has
been found to persist in a cell wall–deficient
form, escaping clearance by the host
immune system
