Yakubu Yusuf, Ong Bee Lee, Zakaria Zunita, Hassan Latiffah, Mutalib Abdul Rahim, Ngeow Yun Fong, Verasahib Khebir, Razak Mohd Firdaus Ariff Abdul
Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang Darul-Ehsan, Selangor 43400, Malaysia(1)(2).
Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang Darul-Ehsan, Selangor 43400, Malaysia(1)(2); Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, City Campus, 16100 Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia.
Prev Vet Med. 2016 Mar 1;125:147-53. doi: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2016.01.008. Epub 2016 Jan 8.
Elephant tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an important re-emerging zoonosis with considerable conservation and public health risk. We conducted prospective cohort and cross-sectional studies in elephants and wildlife staff respectively in order to identify potential risk factors associated with TB in captive Asian elephants and their handlers in Peninsular Malaysia. Sixty elephants in six different facilities were screened for TB longitudinally using the ElephantTB STAT-PAK and DPP VetTB assays from February 2012 to May 2014, and 149 wildlife staff were examined for tuberculosis infection using the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-tube (QFT) assay from January to April, 2012. Information on potential risk factors associated with infection in both elephants and staff were collected using questionnaires and facility records. The overall seroprevalence of TB amongst the elephants was 23.3% (95% CI: 13.8-36.3) and the risk of seroconversion was significantly higher among elephants with assigned mahouts [p=0.022, OR=4.9 (95% CI: 1.3-18.2)]. The percentage of QFT responders among wildlife staff was 24.8% (95% CI: 18.3-32.7) and the risk of infection was observed to be significantly associated with being a zoo employee [p=0.018, OR=2.7 (95% CI: 1.2-6.3)] or elephant handler [p=0.035, OR=4.1 (95% CI: 1.1-15.5)]. These findings revealed a potential risk of TB infection in captive elephants and handlers in Malaysia, and emphasize the need for TB screening of newly acquired elephants, isolating sero-positive elephants and performing further diagnostic tests to determine their infection status, and screening elephant handlers for TB, pre- and post-employment.
由结核分枝杆菌引起的大象结核病是一种重要的再度出现的人畜共患病，具有相当大的保护和公共卫生风险。我们分别对大象和野生动物工作人员进行了前瞻性队列研究和横断面研究，以确定马来西亚半岛圈养亚洲象及其饲养员中与结核病相关的潜在风险因素。2012年2月至2014年5月，使用ElephantTB STAT-PAK和DPP VetTB检测方法对六个不同设施中的60头大象进行了结核病纵向筛查，2012年1月至4月，使用全血γ干扰素释放试验（QFT）对149名野生动物工作人员进行了结核病感染检测。通过问卷和设施记录收集了与大象和工作人员感染相关的潜在风险因素信息。大象中结核病的总体血清阳性率为23.3%（95%置信区间：13.8-36.3），有指定驯象人的大象血清转化风险显著更高[p=0.022，比值比=4.9（95%置信区间：1.3-18.2）]。野生动物工作人员中QFT反应者的百分比为24.8%（95%置信区间：18.3-32.7），观察到感染风险与动物园员工[p=0.018，比值比=2.7（95%置信区间：1.2-6.3）]或大象饲养员[p=0.035，比值比=4.1（95%置信区间：1.1-15.5）]显著相关。这些发现揭示了马来西亚圈养大象和饲养员中结核病感染的潜在风险，并强调需要对新收购的大象进行结核病筛查，隔离血清阳性大象并进行进一步诊断测试以确定其感染状况，以及在大象饲养员入职前和入职后进行结核病筛查。
