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9 October 2019 Seroprevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex in Free-Ranging African Elephants (Loxodonta africana) in Kruger National Park, South Africa
Tanya J. Kerr, Candice R. de Waal, Peter E. Buss, Jennifer Hofmeyr, Konstantin P. Lyashchenko, Michele A. Miller
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is a pathogenic disease that affects a range of wildlife species, including African elephants (Loxodonta africana). The recent discovery of fatal disease caused by infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a bull elephant in the Kruger National Park (KNP), which is a bovine TB endemic area, emphasizes the importance this disease could have on both wild and captive elephant populations globally. Elephants with culture-confirmed TB have previously been shown to produce strong antibody-responses before the mycobacteria can be isolated. Therefore, we used two serologic assays that detect TB antibodies to retrospectively screen a cohort of 222 free-ranging African elephants sampled between 2004 and 2018 in KNP. The estimated TB seroprevalence for this free-roaming elephant population was between 6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 2–12%) and 9% (95% CI, 6–15%) based on the two tests. Overall, males had a higher TB seroprevalence than females, and adults (≥25 yr) had a higher TB seroprevalence than younger elephants (≤24 yr) on both rapid tests. The relatively high TB seroprevalence that we found highlighted the value of conducting retrospective studies in free-ranging wildlife populations in order to better understand the potential risk of disease.

© Wildlife Disease Association 2019
Tanya J. Kerr, Candice R. de Waal, Peter E. Buss, Jennifer Hofmeyr, Konstantin P. Lyashchenko, and Michele A. Miller "Seroprevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex in Free-Ranging African Elephants (Loxodonta africana) in Kruger National Park, South Africa," Journal of Wildlife Diseases 55(4), 923-927, (9 October 2019). https://doi.org/10.7589/2018-12-292
Received: 19 December 2018; Accepted: 13 April 2019; Published: 9 October 2019
KEYWORDS
African elephant
DPP Vet TB Assay for Elephants
Elephant TB STAT-PAK Assay
Kruger National Park
Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex
seroprevalence
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