Mixed Mycobacterium tuberculosis Lineage Infection in 2 Elephants, Nepal

Emerg Infect Dis. 2019 May;25(5):1031-1032. doi: 10.3201/eid2505.181898.

Abstract

Tuberculosis in elephants is primarily caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We identified mixed M. tuberculosis lineage infection in 2 captive elephants in Nepal by using spoligotyping and large sequence polymorphism. One elephant was infected with Indo-Oceanic and East African-Indian (CAS-Delhi) lineages; the other was infected with Indo-Oceanic and East Asian (Beijing) lineages.

Keywords: Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Nepal; TB; bacteria; elephants; lineage; tuberculosis; tuberculosis and other mycobacteria; zoonoses.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Animal Diseases / diagnosis
  • Animal Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Animal Diseases / microbiology*
  • Animals
  • Bacterial Typing Techniques
  • Genes, Bacterial
  • Humans
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / classification*
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / genetics*
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / isolation & purification
  • Nepal / epidemiology
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Tuberculosis / veterinary*