PRO/AH/EDR Tuberculosis, elephants - India: south

[Guest guest]

TUBERCULOSIS, ELEPHANTS - INDIA: SOUTH

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A ProMED-mail post

<http://www.promedmail.org>

ProMED-mail is a program of the

International Society for Infectious Diseases

<http://www.isid.org>

 

Wed 10 Sep 2008

Source: The Times of India [edited]

<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Earth/Elephants_in_S_India_have_TB/articlesh\

ow/3466984.cms>

 

 

The 1st exhaustive study of captive elephants in southern India has

found that 15.25 per cent of them suffer from tuberculosis (TB).

 

Principal investigator of the 2-year-long study Jacob Cheeran said

that the study was done on 387 captive elephants in Kerala, Tamil

Nadu, Karnataka and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands; 59 of the

elephants had TB.

 

" The study on the health of captive elephants with special attention

on TB was conducted by the Bangalore-based NGO Asian Nature and

Conservation Foundation (ANCP), " said Cheeran, a veteran veterinarian

and elephant expert.

 

He said phlegm samples taken from the trunks of these elephants and

blood samples were collected and analyzed.

 

" In these states, there are approximately a little more than 1000

captive elephants, " Cheeran said.

 

" The largest per cent of TB affected elephants were in temples. Of

the 63 temple elephants we studied, 16 were suffering from TB. Of the

160 privately owned elephants, 24 had TB. Of the 164 owned by forest

departments of various state governments, 19 had TB. "

 

Cheeran said it was high time the authorities took note of this

situation and began a project to see that treatment was provided to

these elephants.

 

" Like human beings, elephants suffering from TB can be treated, but

then a proper road map has to be drawn out because the treatment

would be a long one. The biggest challenge is that this disease is

zoonotic in nature (it can be transmitted from man to animal and vice

versa), so authorities should act, " he added.

 

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Communicated by:

ProMED-mail <promed

 

[Elephants are known to be susceptible to infection by both

_Mycobacterium tuberculosis_ and _M. bovis_. The above article does

not specify the bacteria identified in the Indian elephants. A short

review on tuberculosis in elephants, by Susan Mikota, was published

by ProMED-mail in July 2007 (see ProMED archive 20070702.2111). It

included, among other things, the following: " While most cases in the

U.S. have been due to _M. tuberculosis_, we may find more cases of

_M. bovis_ in Asia, where elephants often share grazing land with

domestic livestock. " The review, to which rs are referred,

also covered data on the sampling and laboratory techniques

applicable in elephants.

 

A brief history of elephant TB and a further description of

serological tests can be found in the summary document of a 2005

elephant TB research meeting (Summary - Elephant Tuberculosis

Research Workshop May 2005, 26 pages, available at

<http://www.elephantcare.org/protodoc_files/2005/Elephant%20Tuberculosis%20Resea\

rch%20Workshop%20May%2005.pdf>).

- Mod.AS]

 

[see also:

2007

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Tuberculosis, elephants - Nepal (04) 20070702.2111

Tuberculosis, elephants - Nepal (03) 20070624.2039

Tuberculosis, elephants - Nepal (02) 20070620.1990

Tuberculosis, elephants - Nepal 20070616.1962]

............................................mhj/arn/msp/lm

 

 

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Merritt Clifton

Editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE

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