<i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i>Infection among Asian Elephants in Captivity

Simpson, Gary; Zimmerman, Ralph; Shashkina, Elena; Chen, Liang; Richard, Michael; Bradford, Carol M.; Dragoo, Gwen A.; Saiers, Rhonda L.; Peloquin, Charles A.; Daley, Charles L.; Planet, Paul J.; Narachenia, Apurva; Mathema, Barun; Kreiswirth, Barry N.

doi:10.3201/eid2303.160726

Cited by 11 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“… 13 Rosen et al (2018) [ 10 ] African elephant Captive Five countries of Africa Between human and elephant Minimizing exposure through shared feed with other wildlife, routine TB testing of elephant handlers, and regular serological screening of elephants are recommended as preventive measures. 14 Simpson et al (2017) [ 50 ] Asian and African elephant Captive USA Between human and elephant Infection control protocols and careful monitoring of the treatment of captive elephants with tuberculosis are warranted. 15 Yakubu et al (2016) [ 40 ] Asian elephant Captive Malaysia Between human and elephant The need for TB screening of newly acquired elephants, isolating seropositive elephants and performing further diagnostic tests to determine their infection status, and screening elephant handlers for TB, pre- and post-employment.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in elephants through a One Health approach: a systematic review

et al. 2022

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Background Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) that causes the chronic infectious disease- tuberculosis (TB), often presents with a complicated epidemiological pattern where the transmission chain may include humans, domestic animals and wildlife, including elephants. TB has been reported globally in both captive and wild elephants. The One Health approach might be the most effective way of understanding the shared MTC infection dynamics in captive and wild animals like Asian elephants. This systematic review accumulates evidence on occurrence, transmission pathways, and preventive measures of TB in elephants from a One Health perspective. Results The prevalence of TB reported in elephant populations ranges from 0 to 23.33% and high prevalence’s are reported for elephants that are in close proximity to infected humans. The risk of elephant to human infection transmission increased significantly with exposure duration and contact with infected elephants. Some studies described the plausible TB transmission to captive elephants from other animals (wild and domestic), suggesting inter- and intra-species transmission. The results of this systematic review based on 27 relevant published works, suggest three overarching interrelated transmission pathways for M. tuberculosis infections in Asian elephants- i) humans and elephants, ii) other animals (wild or domestic) and elephants and iii) unclear sources of infection. Conclusions The progress made with new TB diagnostic tools provides multiple methods to choose from. However, lack of harmonization of TB testing in elephants and their human contacts remains a challenge to prevent TB in those animals. Routine TB screening among elephants and caretakers by setting up an occupational health program for early diagnosis of infection through combined efforts of public health, veterinary medicine, and occupational health experts is suggested. This implies the need for a One Health approach to elephant TB control. This review reveals the need for more research on Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex transmission pathways at the human-animal interface.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in elephants through a One Health approach: a systematic review

et al. 2022

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“…However, it is possible that these elephants may have had access to human waste in the park or human settlements along the boundaries. Alternatively, although less likely, Mtb may have been transmitted from another infected animal (29–31).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fatal Tuberculosis in a Free-Ranging African Elephant and One Health Implications of Human Pathogens in Wildlife

et al. 2019

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Tuberculosis (TB) in humans is a global public health concern and the discovery of animal cases of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection and disease, especially in multi-host settings, also has significant implications for public health, veterinary disease control, and conservation endeavors. This paper describes a fatal case of Mtb disease in a free-ranging African elephant (Loxodonta africana) in a high human TB burden region. Necropsy revealed extensive granulomatous pneumonia, from which Mtb was isolated and identified as a member of LAM3/F11 lineage; a common lineage found in humans in South Africa. These findings are contextualized within a framework of emerging Mtb disease in wildlife globally and highlights the importance of the One Health paradigm in addressing this anthroponotic threat to wildlife and the zoonotic implications.

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“…There exists a strong relationship between elephants' health and mahout's wellbeing. The United States and Europe have experienced the illness and death of captive elephants due to Tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the TB can be transmitted from elephants to peoples or livestock that come in contact with them (Simpson et al 2017). A similar case of transmission of TB from elephants to workers.…”

Section: Demographic and Health Status Of Elephantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Demographic and health status of captive elephants around Chitwan National Park, Nepal

GAUTUM

KOJU²

2022

Biodiversitas

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Abstract. Gautum S, Koju NP. 2022. Demographic and health status of captive elephants around Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Biodiversitas 23: 1621-1627. Elephants have been captive from ancient times. As a keystone species, it requires proper care and management to sustain its viable population in the wild as well as a captive. However, there is a lack of study on captive elephants in Nepal. This study aimed to explore the status of captive elephants in Sauraha, Chitwan National Park, the top tourist destination of Nepal. Field survey, Key-Informant Interview (KII), and questionnaire survey were carried out for the primary source of data collection. During which, 78 mahouts were interviewed. The study revealed 97 (16 males and 81 females) captive elephants in Sauraha during the study period. Among them, 17 were born by captive mothers. The distance traveled by an elephant has recorded 16 km for minimum and 84 km in maximum per day and carries the average weight of 450 kg. Captive elephants belonging to the private company (N=60) were used only in tourism, while captive elephants from National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) and Governments were used in patrolling and transportation. The most common disease in captive elephants is tuberculosis (27%). Similarly, parasitic infections, diseases like foot problems, and colic were also recorded. An effective policy and plan are urgently required to conserve this endangered umbrella species in captivity.

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Mycobacterium tuberculosisInfection among Asian Elephants in Captivity

Cited by 11 publications

References 9 publications

Understanding Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in elephants through a One Health approach: a systematic review

Understanding Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in elephants through a One Health approach: a systematic review

Fatal Tuberculosis in a Free-Ranging African Elephant and One Health Implications of Human Pathogens in Wildlife

Demographic and health status of captive elephants around Chitwan National Park, Nepal

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