Mycobacterium tuberculosisInfection of Domesticated Asian Elephants, Thailand

Four Asian elephants were confi rmed to be infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis by bacterial culture, other diagnostic procedures, and sequencing of 16S-23S rDNA internal transcribed spacer region, 16S rRNA, and gyrase B gene sequences.Genotyping showed that the infectious agents originated from 4 sources in Thailand.To identify infections, a combination of diagnostic assays is essential. D uring the past 2 decades, infections of captive Afri- can and Asian elephants withMycobacterium bovis and M. tuberculosis have been diagnosed worldwide (1-4).Transmission of these infections to other mammals and veterinary personnel has also been observed (5).To date, M. tuberculosis infection has not been reported in elephants in Thailand.Four elephants referred to the National Elephant Institute (NEI) Hospital during 2005-2008, three of which showed signs of weakness and chronic weight loss, and 1 showed serous nasal discharge.Tuberculosis was confi rmed by using conventional and molecular diagnostic assays.