Patent ID: 8361737

Claim:
A method of managing an animal herd comprising identifying prior or current infection/disease in an animal caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) and genomically related mycobacteria comprising: a) conducting an initial serological ELISA test to identify intracellular antigens of MAP and genomically related mycobacteria , said serological ELISA test comprising contacting serum from an animal with FUIDI antigen and detecting the binding of antibodies to said FUIDI antigen, said FUIDI antigen deposited as ATCC PTA-11837, said managing comprising categorizing animals in said herd by designating an animal as being negative or positive for the presence of antibodies binding said FUIDI antigen in said initial serological ELISA test; and b) conducting a second serological ELISA test on an animal categorized as positive as positive for the presence of antibodies binding to said FUIDI antigen to identify intracellular antigens of MAP and genomically related mycobacteria , said second serological ELISA test comprising contacting serum collected from said animal categorized as positive for the presence of antibodies binding to lipoarabinomannan polysaccharide (LAM) antigen and detecting the binding of antibodies to said LAM-antigen and said managing comprising further testing of said animal for the presence of MAP nucleic acids from a fecal sample or culling said animal from a herd if said second serological ELISA test is positive for antibodies binding said LAM antigen or returning said animal to the herd if said animal is negative for the presence of antibodies binding said LAM antigen in said second serological ELISA test.