Elephant Care International, Hohenwald, TN, USA.
Tuberculosis (Edinb). 2011 May;91(3):208-11. doi: 10.1016/j.tube.2011.02.007. Epub 2011 Mar 11.
Over the past 15 years, cases of infection with organisms of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex have been diagnosed among captive elephants in the United States and worldwide. Outbreak investigations have documented that among staff employed at facilities housing infected animals, skin test conversion to purified protein derivative have been documented. Clonal spread among animals in close contact and even inter-species spread between elephant and human has been documented. Detection of actively infected animals relies on samples obtained by trunk wash. Diagnosis has been augmented by the development of a multi-antigen serologic assay with excellent specificity and sensitivity. Treatment regimens are still in development with efficacy largely unknown due to a paucity of both premortem follow-up and necropsy data of treated animals. The epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis in elephants require additional careful study of clinical data.
在过去的 15 年中，美国和全球范围内的圈养大象中诊断出感染结核分枝杆菌复合体的病例。爆发调查记录在案，在饲养感染动物的设施中工作的员工中，有记录显示纯化蛋白衍生物的皮肤试验转化。在密切接触的动物之间甚至在大象和人类之间已经记录到了克隆传播。通过冲洗象鼻获得的样本来检测活动性感染动物。通过开发具有出色特异性和敏感性的多抗原血清学检测方法，提高了诊断能力。由于缺乏生前随访和治疗动物的尸检数据，因此治疗方案仍在开发中，其疗效知之甚少。大象结核病的流行病学、诊断和治疗需要对临床数据进行更仔细的研究。
