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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Infectious Bacterial Diseases Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #365343
Research Project: Characterize the Immunopathogenesis and Develop Diagnostic and Mitigation Strategies to Control Tuberculosis in Cattle and Wildlife

Location: Infectious Bacterial Diseases Research

Title: Fatal tuberculosis in a free-ranging African elephant and one health implications of human pathogens in wildlife

Author
item MILLER, MICHELLE - Stellenbosch University
item BUSS, PETER - South African National Parks
item ROOS, EDUARD - Stellenbosch University
item HAUSLER, GUY - Stellenbosch University
item DIPPENAAR, A - Stellenbosch University
item MITCHELL, EMILY - University Of Pretoria
item VAN SCHALKWYK, LOUIS - Department Of Agriculture - South Africa
item Robbe Austerman, Suelee
item Waters, Wade
item SIKAR-GANG, ALINA - Chembio Diagnostic Systems, Inc
item LYASHCHENKO, KONSTANTIN - Chembio Diagnostic Systems, Inc
item PARSONS, SVEN - Stellenbosch University
item WARREN, ROB - Stellenbosch University
item VAN HELDEN, PAUL - Stellenbosch University

Submitted to: Frontiers in Veterinary Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/17/2019
Publication Date: 2/6/2019
Citation: Miller, M., Buss, P., Roos, E., Hausler, G., Dippenaar, A., Mitchell, E., Van Schalkwyk, L., Robbe Austerman, S., Waters, W.R., Sikar-Gang, A., Lyashchenko, K., Parsons, S.D., Warren, R., Van Helden, P. 2019. Fatal tuberculosis in a free-ranging African elephant and one health implications of human pathogens in wildlife. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 6, article 18: 1-8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2019.00018.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2019.00018

Interpretive Summary: Tuberculosis affects animals an human all over the world and is a global public health concern. Therefore, it is especially important when Mycobacterium tuberculosis (the cause of human tuberculosis) is found in animals. This paper describes a fatal case of tuberculosis due to M. tuberculosis in an African elephant. Analysis of the DNA from the bacteria revealed that it was identical to M. tuberculosis commonly found in humans in South Africa.

Technical Abstract: Tuberculosis (TB) in humans is a global public health concern and the discovery of animal cases ofMycobacteriumtuberculosis (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.