Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Jan;51(4):1062-1066.
doi: 10.1638/2019-0152.

INTENSIVE TREATMENT OF A CAPTIVE BORNEAN ELEPHANT (ELEPHAS MAXIMUS BORNEENSIS) INFECTED WITH MYCOBACTERIUM CAPRAE IN JAPAN

Satomi Suga  1 , Yasuhiko Mukai  2 , Satoshi Ishikawa  2   3 , Shiomi Yoshida  4   5 , Sarad Paudel  6 , Takayuki Wada  7
Affiliations

INTENSIVE TREATMENT OF A CAPTIVE BORNEAN ELEPHANT (ELEPHAS MAXIMUS BORNEENSIS) INFECTED WITH MYCOBACTERIUM CAPRAE IN JAPAN

Satomi Suga et al. J Zoo Wildl Med. 2021 Jan.

Abstract

In 2015, an estimated 17-year-old female Bornean elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis) at Fukuyama Zoo in Japan exhibited anorexia and significant weight loss. Pan-susceptible Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) was isolated from vaginal discharge, oral mucus, urine, and fecal samples by culture. The isolate was identified as Mycobacterium caprae by genetic analysis. Isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and levofloxacin were administered rectally. Body weight increased to normal, but subsequently decreased again. Elevation of liver enzymes occurred, likely related to the increase in isoniazid dosage. After recovery from side effects, the elephant's weight increased further. However, isoniazid-resistant M. caprae was isolated from oral mucus after anti-tuberculosis drug treatment for 9 mo. The regimen was changed to rifampicin, pyrazinamide, ethambutol, and levofloxacin, administered orally or rectally. The 18-mo treatment was completed in October 2018. This elephant has shown no clinical sign since. No MTBC-positive sample had been obtained as of March 2020.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Backues KA, Wiedner EB. Recommendations for the diagnosis, treatment and management of tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) in elephants in human care. Int Zoo Yearb. 2019;53(1):1–12.
    1. Blumberg HM, Burman WJ, Chaisson RE, Daley CL, Etkind SC, Friedman LN, Fujiwara P, Grzemska M, Hopewell PC, Iseman MD, Jasmer RM, Koppaka V, Menzies RI, O'Brien RJ, Reves RR, Reichman LB, Simone PM, Starke JR, Vernon AA. American Thoracic Society/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Infectious Diseases Society of America: treatment of tuberculosis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2003; 167(4):603–662.
    1. Chiba T. Pathology of zoo animals. Proboscidea: case report in Nagoya city Higashiyama Zoo (1950–1987). Tokyo: Kindaibungei-sha; 1993. p. 137. [In Japanese.]
    1. Dumonceaux GA, St Leger J, Olsen JH, Burton MS, Ashkin D, Maslow JN. Genitourinary and pulmonary multidrug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in an Asian elephant (Elephas maximus). J Zoo Wildl Med. 2011;42(4):709–712.
    1. Greenwald R, Lyashchenko O, Esfandiari J, Miller M, Mikota S, Olsen JH, Ball R, Dumonccaux G, Schmit D, Moller T, Payeur JB, Harris B, Sofranko D, Waters WR, Lyashchenko KP. Highly accurate antibody assays for early and rapid detection of tuberculosis in African and Asian elephants. Clin Vaccine Immunol. 2009;16(5):605–612.

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources