Objective.

To determine the presence of anti-Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) antibodies in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and red brocket deer (Mazama rufína), captured in the Orinoquía and Caribbean regions in Colombia.

Materials and methods.

A total of 44 blood serum samples from deer of species M. rufina and O. virginianus were collected under field conditions between 2014 and 2016. An ELISA commercial kit was used to detect anti-MAP antibodies. An animal was considered ELISA-positive at a sample-to-positive ratio (S/P%) of > 0.4, as recommended by the manufacturer.

Results.

The 50% (22/44) of the animals were positive, corresponding to 10 females and 12 males. An 81.8% (18/22) and 77.3% (17/22) of these seropositive animals were captured in the Orinoquía region and were reported as adults, respectively.

Conclusions.

It is not known how or when MAP was introduced in the Colombian deer population in the study regions. The most plausible hypothesis to explain the presence of antibodies against MAP in these wild populations is transmission by contact with infected bovine cattle since, in both regions, these species share pastures. This is the first study to explore MAP infection in wild animals in Colombia. These findings support the need for further studies using different direct diagnostic techniques and research approaches that allow the definition of links in the infection dynamics between wild and domestic mammals in Colombia.

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