Burke Sophie M, Vogelnest Larry, Thompson Paul, Tovey Euan R, Williamson Peter
J Zoo Wildl Med. 2017 Jun;48(2):431-439. doi: 10.1638/2016-0119R.1.
Elephant-mediated transmission of tuberculosis is assumed to be similar to human models, which state close and prolonged contact with an infected individual is required for transmission. Although considered a risk factor for infection, several case studies have reported that close contact with an elephant is not always necessary for transmission, and the role of aerosolized bacteria remains unclear. To investigate aerosol-mediated transmission of pathogenic bacteria from elephants, a method for the detection of aerosols using an adapted sampling system was developed. A commensal bacterium was isolated from the upper respiratory tract of elephants ( Elephas maximus ) and was used as a proxy organism to detect aerosolized droplets in the sampling system. It was found that elephants are capable of producing aerosolized bacterial particles of a size small enough to remain airborne for prolonged periods and penetrate the lower regions of the human respiratory tract.
大象介导的结核病传播被认为与人类模型相似，即传播需要与受感染个体密切且长时间接触。尽管密切接触大象被视为感染的一个风险因素，但一些案例研究报告称，传播并不总是需要与大象密切接触，雾化细菌的作用仍不清楚。为了研究大象致病性细菌的气溶胶介导传播，开发了一种使用改良采样系统检测气溶胶的方法。从大象（亚洲象）的上呼吸道分离出一种共生细菌，并将其用作替代生物来检测采样系统中的雾化飞沫。研究发现，大象能够产生大小足够小、可长时间悬浮在空中并能穿透人类呼吸道下部区域的雾化细菌颗粒。
