Emerging Infectious Diseases (Dec 2010)

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection of Domesticated Asian Elephants, Thailand

  • Taweepoke Angkawanish,
  • Worawidh Wajjwalku,
  • Anucha Sirimalaisuwan,
  • Thattawan Kaewsakhorn,
  • Kittikorn Boonsri,
  • Victor P.M.G. Rutten

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1612.100862
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 16, no. 12
pp. 1949 – 1951

Abstract

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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.

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