Abstract
Tuberculosis is a highly contagious zoonotic disease caused by Mycobacterium spp. A study was conducted to detect the presence of Mycobacterium in captive elephants. A total of 15 captive elephants were screened from various regions in Maharashtra. The blood and serum samples collected were subjected to rapid test kit, BacT/ALERT 3D system, Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining and PCR. All the samples were found seronegative using rapid test kit and whole blood PCR. Whereas, all samples were signalled culture positive in BacT/ALERT 3D system which were further subjected to PCR, only one amplicon was produced of 176bp of RD4 gene (Mycobacterium bovis) and no acid-fast organism was detected upon ZN. Due to the atypical nature of this organism, diagnosis of this disease in elephants using various tests is complicated unlike the diagnostic tests that are validated in domestic animals. Therefore, many tests have sub-optimal sensitivity and specificity in elephants. As TB is a zoonotic disease, transmission can occur between human-livestock-elephants interface. Therefore, the zoos and state forest authority should inculcate a protocol of periodic TB screening for Mahouts and elephants in captivity along with protocol of elephant-visitor interaction, thus helping in conservation of this endangered species in India.
Highlights
Elephants are the largest terrestrial mammals on the earth
The serum samples collected from the 15 elephants were seronegative by the rapid test kit as no coloured band was observed in the test area of the rapid test kit (Image 1)
All the 15 samples were detected positive by the BacT/ALERT 3D system in 6 mean days
Summary
Elephants are the largest terrestrial mammals on the earth. Elephants belong to the family Elephantidae in animal kingdom. Two genera Elephas and Loxodonta and three species are present today – the Asian Elephant Elephas maximus, the African Bush Elephant Loxodonta africana, and the African Forest Elephant Loxodonta cyclotis. A population of 27,312 elephants has been estimated from 23 states in India (Project Elephant Division, Government of India, 2017). The population of elephants has drastically been reduced and since 1986, the Asian Elephant has been listed as ‘Endangered’ species on the IUCN Red List, as the wild population has declined by at least 50% (Choudhury et al 2008). The Asian Elephant is placed in Schedule I and Part I of Indian Wildlife Protection Act (1972); conferring it the highest level of protection
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