Paratuberculosis (PTB) remains one of the most obstacles limit animal breeding sector all over the world. The current study aimed to detect the etiology of PTB in tissues of clinically suspected small ruminants using histopathological and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) methods. Clinical examination shown 10 (26.4%) PTB suspected cases out of the total (38) examined the animals. The suspected cases were euthanized, necropsied, gross lesions were recorded and tissue samples were

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... ected for histopathological and molecular procedures. Grossly intestinal and mesenteric lymph nodes thickening, corrugations and edematous swellings were recorded. Semi-thin sections of the intestine and mesenteric lymph nodes stained with toluidine blue demonstrated MAP organism inside epithelial cells and macrophages. RT-PCR detected MAP IS900 gene in all suspected cases (100%), thus we recommend using RT-PCR as a rapid sensitive method in the diagnosis of PTB.