Highly Accurate Antibody Assays for Early and Rapid Detection of Tuberculosis in African and Asian Elephants
Tuberculosis (TB) in elephants is a reemerging zoonotic disease caused primarily by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Current methods for screening and diagnosis rely on trunk wash culture, which has serious limitations due to low test sensitivity, slow turnaround time, and variable sample quality. Innovative and more efficient diagnostic tools are urgently needed. We describe three novel serologic […]
Tuberculosis in Elephants in North America
Within the past 4 years, tuberculosis (TB) has emerged as a disease of concern in elephants. The population of elephants in North America is declining [Wiese, 1997], and transmissible diseases such as TB may exacerbate this trend. Guidelines for the Control of Tuberculosis in Elephants, which require the screening of all elephants for TB, were […]
Improving animal welfare standards while reducing disease exposure risk during euthanasia of trapped brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula)
In New Zealand there is a long history of research studies working with wild free-living brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) where euthanasia of large numbers of animals is frequently required. The most commonly used method for euthanising trapped possums is by blunt-force trauma. If possums being euthanised are potentially infected with bovine tuberculosis (TB), however, the […]