Serological study on brucellosis in captive elephants (Elephas maximus) and stray dogs in North Thailand

Abstract

Background and Aim: Brucellosis is considered as an important zoonotic disease caused by various strains of Brucella in numerous host species. Although brucellosis has been reported in almost animal species, the relevance of brucellosis infection and diagnostic technique in Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) has been limited. The present serological investigation aimed to investigate the antibody response to Brucella abortus in captive Asian elephants in North Thailand. Moreover, further serological survey was also conducted to detect the antibody response to Brucella canis in stray dogs cohabiting the same area as the elephant herd. Materials and Methods: Serum samples were collected from 40 captive Asian elephants and submitted for serological analysis based on B. abortus antigen using Rose Bengal plate test (RBPT) in combination with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid-tube agglutination test (EDTA-TAT) as a supplementary test and by commercial indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA). In addition, serum samples were also obtained from 16 stray dogs that live nearby the elephant-raising area and were tested using commercial Dot-ELISA based on B. canis antigen. Results: Serological analysis in captive Asian elephants showed 100% seronegative (40/40) from all serological tests response to B. abortus. For stray dogs, 12.5% (2/16) had a low positive reaction response to B. canis. Conclusion: The serological survey for brucellosis in Asian elephant was adapted and applied using RBPT, EDTA-TAT, and iELISA in the present study. For future evaluation, we recommended the use of a combination of serological tests with validation together with comparing by direct detection such as bacterial isolation to provide an appropriate brucellosis surveillance program in Asian elephants. In addition, the surveillance of stray dogs or multispecies habitation should be kept into considerations.

Possible vertebral brucellosis infection in a Neanderthal

“…All these animals were important components of the Neanderthal diet [62][63][64] . Only the two largest Neanderthal prey animals, mammoths and woolly rhinoceros, might not have been reservoirs for Brucella as inferred from their extant relatives [65][66][67] . The host preference of the different Brucella species might suggest that La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1 was infected by B. abortus rather than B. melitensis.…”

Abandonment of dogs in Latin America: Strategies and ideas

“…Moreover, free-ranging dogs can cause animal losses in smallscale farms [27]. From the perspective of public health [28], it is important to understand that dogs can be affected by over 100 zoonotic, bacterial [29], viral [30], and parasitic diseases [31][32][33] and may be carriers of diseases that include rabies [34][35][36][37], leptospirosis [38], hookworm disease, echinococcosis, leishmaniasis [39], ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, brucellosis [40], dirofilariasis [41], Bartonella spp. [42], cestodiasis, salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis, yersiniosis, helicobacter, Bordetella pertussis, Borrelia burgdorferi [43], and streptococcus, as well as staph infections, chlamydia, and scabies, among others [44,45].…”