The studies below demonstrate that the application of lime to pasture areas or naturally occurring alkaline soils dramatically reduced MAP infection levels.

“’application of lime to pasture areas in 1993′ resulted in a ten-fold decrease in odds of a herd being positive for M. paratuberculosis infection”: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9879579

“Application of lime to pasture areas was associated with reduced risk of paratuberculosis.”: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10328429

“It was concluded that the disease persisted in regions with acid soils but not in regions with alkaline, calcereous soils.”: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/833032

“Examination of the distribution of infected farms in the Western Cape indicated a positive correlation between acid soils and occurrence of infection.”: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11118715

Lime (a general term for calcium-containing inorganic materials) is used extensively in the sewage industry to reduce acidity, and calcium carbonate, in different forms, is used to effectively treat acid burns.

“calcium carbonate gel technique was successfully utilized in nine patients [with hydrofluoric acid burns of the hand]”: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2236319

“The patients suffered from severe pain. However, the pain was relieved after treatment with calcium gluconate. “: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15811026

Also, dietary calcium helps reduce MAP infection in mice:

“These results suggest that feeding a low Ca [calcium] diet to mice chronically infected with M. paratuberculosis appears to enhance their ability to clear the infection”: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9157678