Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection of domesticated Asian elephants, Thailand

Emerg Infect Dis. 2010 Dec;16(12):1949-51. doi: 10.3201/eid1612.100862.

Abstract

Four Asian elephants were confirmed to be infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis by bacterial culture, other diagnostic procedures, and sequencing of 16S-23S rDNA internal transcribed spacer region, 16S rRNA, and gyrase B gene sequences. Genotyping showed that the infectious agents originated from 4 sources in Thailand. To identify infections, a combination of diagnostic assays is essential.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Domestic / microbiology*
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • DNA Gyrase / genetics
  • DNA, Ribosomal Spacer
  • Elephants / microbiology*
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / genetics
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / isolation & purification*
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • RNA, Bacterial / analysis
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / analysis
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 23S / analysis*
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Thailand
  • Tuberculosis / diagnosis
  • Tuberculosis / microbiology
  • Tuberculosis / veterinary*

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • DNA, Ribosomal Spacer
  • RNA, Bacterial
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 23S
  • DNA Gyrase