Diagnosis of Tuberculosis in Three Zoo Elephants and a Human Contact — Oregon, 2013

In 2013, public health officials in Multnomah County, Oregon, started an investigation of a tuberculosis (TB) outbreak among elephants and humans at a local zoo. The investigation ultimately identified three bull elephants with active TB and 118 human contacts of the elephants. Ninety-six (81%) cont...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report 2016-01, Vol.64 (52), p.1398-1402
Main Authors: Zlot, Amy, Vines, Jennifer, Nystrom, Laura, Lane, Lindsey, Behm, Heidi, Denny, Justin, Finnegan, Mitch, Hostetler, Trevor, Matthews, Gloria, Storms, Tim, DeBess, Emilio
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Animals, Zoo - microbiology
Contact Tracing
Diagnosis
Disease Outbreaks - prevention & control
Disease Outbreaks - veterinary
Elephantidae
Elephants
Health aspects
Human immunodeficiency virus
Humans
Latent Tuberculosis - diagnosis
Latent Tuberculosis - epidemiology
Latent Tuberculosis - prevention & control
Mycobacterium
Mycobacterium tuberculosis - isolation & purification
Occupational Diseases - diagnosis
Occupational Diseases - epidemiology
Oregon
Oregon - epidemiology
Proboscidea
Public health
Tuberculin Test - veterinary
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis - diagnosis
Tuberculosis - epidemiology
Tuberculosis - prevention & control
Tuberculosis - veterinary
Zoos
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Summary:In 2013, public health officials in Multnomah County, Oregon, started an investigation of a tuberculosis (TB) outbreak among elephants and humans at a local zoo. The investigation ultimately identified three bull elephants with active TB and 118 human contacts of the elephants. Ninety-six (81%) contacts were evaluated, and seven close contacts were found to have latent TB infection. The three bulls were isolated and treated (elephants with TB typically are not euthanized) to prevent infection of other animals and humans, and persons with latent infection were offered treatment. Improved TB screening methods for elephants are needed to prevent exposure of human contacts.
ISSN:0149-2195
1545-861X
DOI:10.15585/mmwr.mm6452a2