Detection of Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis in retail cheeses from Greece and the Czech republic

We investigated the presence of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in retail cheeses from Greece and the Czech Republic. We found that 31.7% and 3.6% of our samples reacted positive by PCR and culture, respectively. Consumption of these cheeses is likely to result in human exposure to M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis, albeit at a low level for viable cells.