Evidence and potential risk factors of tuberculosis among captive Asian elephants and wildlife staff in Peninsular Malaysia
Elephant tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an important re-emerging zoonosis with considerable conservation and public health risk. We conducted prospective cohort and cross-sectional studies in elephants and wildlife staff respectively in order to identify potential risk fac...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2016
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/43437/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/43437/1/Evidence%20and%20potential%20risk%20factors%20of%20tuberculosis%20among%20captive%20Asian%20elephants%20and%20wildlife%20staff%20in%20Peninsular%20Malaysia.pdf |
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| author | Yakubu, Yusuf Ong, Bee Lee Zakaria, Zunita Hassan, Latiffah Mutalib, Abdul Rahim Ngeow, Yun Fong Verasahib, Khebir Abdul Razak, Mohd Firdaus Ariff |
| author_facet | Yakubu, Yusuf Ong, Bee Lee Zakaria, Zunita Hassan, Latiffah Mutalib, Abdul Rahim Ngeow, Yun Fong Verasahib, Khebir Abdul Razak, Mohd Firdaus Ariff |
| author_sort | Yakubu, Yusuf |
| building | UPM Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Elephant tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an important re-emerging zoonosis with considerable conservation and public health risk. We conducted prospective cohort and cross-sectional studies in elephants and wildlife staff respectively in order to identify potential risk factors associated with TB in captive Asian elephants and their handlers in Peninsular Malaysia. Sixty elephants in six different facilities were screened for TB longitudinally using the ElephantTB STAT-PAK and DPP VetTB assays from February 2012 to May 2014, and 149 wildlife staff were examined for tuberculosis infection using the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-tube (QFT) assay from January to April, 2012. Information on potential risk factors associated with infection in both elephants and staff were collected using questionnaires and facility records. The overall seroprevalence of TB amongst the elephants was 23.3% (95% CI: 13.8–36.3) and the risk of seroconversion was significantly higher among elephants with assigned mahouts [p = 0.022, OR = 4.9 (95% CI: 1.3–18.2)]. The percentage of QFT responders among wildlife staff was 24.8% (95% CI: 18.3–32.7) and the risk of infection was observed to be significantly associated with being a zoo employee [p = 0.018, OR = 2.7 (95% CI: 1.2–6.3)] or elephant handler [p = 0.035, OR = 4.1 (95% CI: 1.1–15.5)]. These findings revealed a potential risk of TB infection in captive elephants and handlers in Malaysia, and emphasize the need for TB screening of newly acquired elephants, isolating sero-positive elephants and performing further diagnostic tests to determine their infection status, and screening elephant handlers for TB, pre- and post-employment. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T10:02:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | upm-43437 |
| institution | Universiti Putra Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T10:02:57Z |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | upm-434372016-05-19T05:18:59Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/43437/ Evidence and potential risk factors of tuberculosis among captive Asian elephants and wildlife staff in Peninsular Malaysia Yakubu, Yusuf Ong, Bee Lee Zakaria, Zunita Hassan, Latiffah Mutalib, Abdul Rahim Ngeow, Yun Fong Verasahib, Khebir Abdul Razak, Mohd Firdaus Ariff Elephant tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an important re-emerging zoonosis with considerable conservation and public health risk. We conducted prospective cohort and cross-sectional studies in elephants and wildlife staff respectively in order to identify potential risk factors associated with TB in captive Asian elephants and their handlers in Peninsular Malaysia. Sixty elephants in six different facilities were screened for TB longitudinally using the ElephantTB STAT-PAK and DPP VetTB assays from February 2012 to May 2014, and 149 wildlife staff were examined for tuberculosis infection using the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-tube (QFT) assay from January to April, 2012. Information on potential risk factors associated with infection in both elephants and staff were collected using questionnaires and facility records. The overall seroprevalence of TB amongst the elephants was 23.3% (95% CI: 13.8–36.3) and the risk of seroconversion was significantly higher among elephants with assigned mahouts [p = 0.022, OR = 4.9 (95% CI: 1.3–18.2)]. The percentage of QFT responders among wildlife staff was 24.8% (95% CI: 18.3–32.7) and the risk of infection was observed to be significantly associated with being a zoo employee [p = 0.018, OR = 2.7 (95% CI: 1.2–6.3)] or elephant handler [p = 0.035, OR = 4.1 (95% CI: 1.1–15.5)]. These findings revealed a potential risk of TB infection in captive elephants and handlers in Malaysia, and emphasize the need for TB screening of newly acquired elephants, isolating sero-positive elephants and performing further diagnostic tests to determine their infection status, and screening elephant handlers for TB, pre- and post-employment. Elsevier 2016 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/43437/1/Evidence%20and%20potential%20risk%20factors%20of%20tuberculosis%20among%20captive%20Asian%20elephants%20and%20wildlife%20staff%20in%20Peninsular%20Malaysia.pdf Yakubu, Yusuf and Ong, Bee Lee and Zakaria, Zunita and Hassan, Latiffah and Mutalib, Abdul Rahim and Ngeow, Yun Fong and Verasahib, Khebir and Abdul Razak, Mohd Firdaus Ariff (2016) Evidence and potential risk factors of tuberculosis among captive Asian elephants and wildlife staff in Peninsular Malaysia. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 125. pp. 147-153. ISSN 0167-5877; ESSN: 1873-1716 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167587716300083 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2016.01.008 |
| spellingShingle | Yakubu, Yusuf Ong, Bee Lee Zakaria, Zunita Hassan, Latiffah Mutalib, Abdul Rahim Ngeow, Yun Fong Verasahib, Khebir Abdul Razak, Mohd Firdaus Ariff Evidence and potential risk factors of tuberculosis among captive Asian elephants and wildlife staff in Peninsular Malaysia |
| title | Evidence and potential risk factors of tuberculosis among captive Asian elephants and wildlife staff in Peninsular Malaysia |
| title_full | Evidence and potential risk factors of tuberculosis among captive Asian elephants and wildlife staff in Peninsular Malaysia |
| title_fullStr | Evidence and potential risk factors of tuberculosis among captive Asian elephants and wildlife staff in Peninsular Malaysia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evidence and potential risk factors of tuberculosis among captive Asian elephants and wildlife staff in Peninsular Malaysia |
| title_short | Evidence and potential risk factors of tuberculosis among captive Asian elephants and wildlife staff in Peninsular Malaysia |
| title_sort | evidence and potential risk factors of tuberculosis among captive asian elephants and wildlife staff in peninsular malaysia |
| url | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/43437/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/43437/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/43437/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/43437/1/Evidence%20and%20potential%20risk%20factors%20of%20tuberculosis%20among%20captive%20Asian%20elephants%20and%20wildlife%20staff%20in%20Peninsular%20Malaysia.pdf |