Bacteria Linked to Crohn's Disease

The inflammatory bowel disease called Crohn's has been linked with the Mycobacterium Avium subspecies Paratuberculosis (MAP) bacteria, which causes a similar disease in animals. In studying various types of intestinal diseases, researchers at the University of Heidelberg found the bacteria in 52% of Crohn's disease tissue samples. However, they found it in only 2% of the ulcerative colitis tissue, and 5% of the inflammatory bowel disease tissue that they tested.

Though genetic and immune-system factors may also cause Crohn's, this research points toward the MAP bacteria as a likely cause of at least some Crohn's cases.