AUTHOR=Miller Michele A. , Buss Peter , Roos Eduard O. , Hausler Guy , Dippenaar Anzaan , Mitchell Emily , van Schalkwyk Louis , Robbe-Austerman Suelee , Waters W. Ray , Sikar-Gang Alina , Lyashchenko Konstantin P. , Parsons Sven D. C. , Warren Robin , van Helden Paul 

TITLE=Fatal Tuberculosis in a Free-Ranging African Elephant and One Health Implications of Human Pathogens in Wildlife

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Veterinary Science

VOLUME=6

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2019.00018

DOI=10.3389/fvets.2019.00018

ISSN=2297-1769

ABSTRACT=<p>Tuberculosis (TB) in humans is a global public health concern and the discovery of animal cases of <italic>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</italic> (Mtb) infection and disease, especially in multi-host settings, also has significant implications for public health, veterinary disease control, and conservation endeavors. This paper describes a fatal case of Mtb disease in a free-ranging African elephant (<italic>Loxodonta africana</italic>) in a high human TB burden region. Necropsy revealed extensive granulomatous pneumonia, from which Mtb was isolated and identified as a member of LAM3/F11 lineage; a common lineage found in humans in South Africa. These findings are contextualized within a framework of emerging Mtb disease in wildlife globally and highlights the importance of the One Health paradigm in addressing this anthroponotic threat to wildlife and the zoonotic implications.</p>