Immunopathological changes and apparent recovery from infection revealed in cattle in an experimental model of Johne’s disease using a lyophilised culture of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis

•An experimental model of Johne’s disease based on a defined low dose of lyophilised MAP administered orally was developed in cattle.•A trial with 20 exposed cattle was conducted over 4.7 years, and intestinal biopsies were performed at two time points.•One third of the cattle became infected, 10% had histopathological lesions of paratuberculosis and one apparently recovered from the disease.•Faecal shedding occurred in two distinct phases: an early phase, and a later phase that was associated with gut pathology.•Cattle that had the highest histopathological lesion grade and MAP faecal shedding had low MAP-specific interferon-gamma responses 4 months after exposure.