Africa Wild

Poplap wrote:Sadly the cure/antidote for Bovine TB is still years away...


Check out the article on pages 14 to 16. (Theuns submitted photos on request of the Editor).


http://issuu.com/dzs-habitat/docs/habit ... geNumber=1


May 2010 info on this: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/16/5/0 ... rticle.htm


Warning: This photo is NOT for sensitive viewers:

Richprins wrote:Here's a quote:

The confirmation of results for bovine TB–infected buffaloes in Zimbabwe (Gonarezhou National Park) raises several questions regarding the transboundary spread of animal disease and has considerable management implications for the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area. The most likely scenario is buffalo-to-buffalo contact across the boundary because the bovine TB cases reported here were located <45 km from the unfenced northern boundary of Kruger National Park. Buffaloes, especially bulls and young heifers, frequently move from herd to herd and may contribute to the spread of M. bovis by mixing with unexposed herds (7).

Although transboundary movements of buffaloes between Kruger and Gonarezhou have not been specifically documented, uncontrolled movements across the Limpopo River do occur. However, >12 wild species in Kruger have now been found to be infected by bovine TB (2). Most of these species are probably not effective sources of M. bovis infection for buffaloes, but the disease epidemiology could rely on multihost reservoirs (8).

Thus, a second scenario could be a buffalo-to–unidentified wild species–to-buffalo pathway, because species like greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) appear to be able to maintain, spread, and even drive a bovine TB epidemic (4,9). A third scenario involves movement of infected livestock across the boundaries of the 3 countries of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area, resulting in cattle-to-buffalo transmission of bovine TB. As a last scenario, we cannot rule out the possibility that bovine TB infection of buffaloes has remained silent and undetected for decades in Zimbabwe.

TB has been around for some time, especially amongst domestic cattle. (It is not a natural disease in wild African animals, but "imported") and has little impact while animals are reasonably healthy, as with the current decade-long wet cycle.

Heaven help us should drought strike, for example.

Poplap wrote:I also would like to know what the latest statistics are in the KNP... Thanks for the quote, RP, looked at it last night. Also saw this in a couple of quotes (never knew this):


How can humans get bovine tuberculosis?

There are three ways humans can get bovine tuberculosis: By

* breathing or inhaling air contaminated with the bacteria after an infected animal or infected person coughs or sneezes very close by. It is very unlikely that an individual would contract tuberculosis from an animal by this method.
* drinking unpasteurized milk from an infected cow or eating raw or undercooked meat from an infected animal. The consumption of undercooked or raw meat poses the biggest threat for contracting bovine tuberculosis from venison.
* handling infected meat in the dressing and processing of animal carcasses, especially if hands aren't washed carefully prior to consuming food. There is very little risk that an individual would contract bovine tuberculosis by this method.



I wonder if this is still happening? (regrettably the article is undated):


It has been agreed that every case in which an emaciated lion is reported in KNP must be investigated. This will be done by the veterinarians of SANParks and the Department of Agriculture as a combined effort. Dewald Keet will provide pictures of animals representing the different condition scores to assist rangers, veterinary staff and other SANPark staff in recognizing emaciated lions. A full necropsy will be performed on each animal according to a SOP to confirm that it is infected with BTB and to gain as much information as possible from each case.

- http://sanparks.org.za/docs/conservatio ... PC_BTB.pdf

Poplap wrote:I also would like to know what the latest statistics are in the KNP... Thanks for the quote, RP, looked at it last night. Also saw this in a couple of quotes (never knew this):


How can humans get bovine tuberculosis?

There are three ways humans can get bovine tuberculosis: By

* breathing or inhaling air contaminated with the bacteria after an infected animal or infected person coughs or sneezes very close by. It is very unlikely that an individual would contract tuberculosis from an animal by this method.
* drinking unpasteurized milk from an infected cow or eating raw or undercooked meat from an infected animal. The consumption of undercooked or raw meat poses the biggest threat for contracting bovine tuberculosis from venison.
* handling infected meat in the dressing and processing of animal carcasses, especially if hands aren't washed carefully prior to consuming food. There is very little risk that an individual would contract bovine tuberculosis by this method.



I wonder if this is still happening? (regrettably the article is undated):


It has been agreed that every case in which an emaciated lion is reported in KNP must be investigated. This will be done by the veterinarians of SANParks and the Department of Agriculture as a combined effort. Dewald Keet will provide pictures of animals representing the different condition scores to assist rangers, veterinary staff and other SANPark staff in recognizing emaciated lions. A full necropsy will be performed on each animal according to a SOP to confirm that it is infected with BTB and to gain as much information as possible from each case.

- http://sanparks.org.za/docs/conservatio ... PC_BTB.pdf

2012-07-03 10:32 Buffalo research in final stage

Bloemfontein - The final stage of research into the effects of Bovine Tuberculosis (BTB) on free-ranging buffalo in the Kruger National Park would begin on Tuesday.

The park's veterinary wildlife service department was doing the study, park spokesperson William Mabasa said on Monday.

The project was started in 2008 to determine the effect of the disease on buffalo.

BTB is an alien disease that entered the park in the mid-1950s as a result of buffalo coming into contact with BTB-infected livestock from outside the park. It threatened the conservation of biodiversity.

As part of the research, a sample of about 200 buffalo was selected, captured and fitted with radio collars so they could be re-captured at six-month intervals for the collection of samples, application of treatments, and assessment of body condition.

The final stage of the research would see some 125 to 150 of the sampled buffalo euthanized to have complete post mortems conducted.

It was hoped this would allow the researchers to determine the status and progress of the disease.

The last stage of the research project would continue until August this year, focused on the Lower Sabie and Crocodile Bridge areas.

- SAPA

I don't know and admittedly I do not have expert knowledge, but killing 125 to 150 buffaloes seems a bit drastic?


Euthanized?? Euthanized = killed.

SOUTH AFRICANS WARNED OF TB-INFECTED BUFFALO MEAT

Last Updated: 2013-11-06
By Masoka Dube

SKUKUZA, SOUTH AFRICA, Nov 6 (NNN-SA NEWS) -- People living around South Africa's famed Kruger National Park have been warned not to eat any buffalo meat which has not been checked for Bovine Tuberculosis (TB).

Kruger National Park Spokesman William Mabasa confirmed at the park's administrative headquarters here Tuesday that there were buffalo which had escape the Kruger and wandered into communities, but warned that some could be infected with TB.

“When buffalo are killed outside the Kruger, it should be done under supervision of state veterinary services, and they would normally inspect the carcass and remove infected organs if signs of TB are present or condemn the carcass outright,” said Mabasa.

Mabasa warned residents not to poach animals, but added that some buffalo get killed when they escape into various communities around the Kruger.

“Sometimes buffalo do get killed by communities with state vets’ supervision. If they only eat the meat/liver/kidneys and intestines the risk of getting TB is very small -- the disease is mostly manifested in the lungs and lymph nodes of the head and thorax. Removing these will prevent transmission of TB," he said.

“Badly infected buffalo obviously pose a threat to humans when consuming organs (not meat) infected by the bacterium. Cooking does help reduce the risk of transmission."

Mabasa added that South African law states that land owners are responsible for wild animals found on their land. “In other words, Kruger lions in the Kruger are the responsibility of the South African National Parks (SANParks). Lions found in any of the communities outside the Park are the responsibility of either the Limpopo or Mpumalanga provincial governments." he explained.

“We can only act if provincial government authorities request our help. SANParks does play a role in communicating some of the legislative levels and risks when eating uncooked meat from any wildlife."
-- NNN-SA NEWS

http://www.health24.com/Medical/Tubercu ... s-20160323

UPDATED 24 MARCH 2016
Kruger lions threatened by tuberculosis
Humans are not the only species affected by tuberculosis – two of South Africa’s ‘Big Five’ are also threatened by the disease.


Slow-progressing disease

“The prevalence of BTB is estimated to be 54% in the southern KNP lion population, with decreasing numbers in the central areas, based on a new molecular technique that we have developed for detecting infection,” says Mrs Tashnica Sylvester, a doctoral student at SU’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS). BTB has also been confirmed in lions in other locations in South Africa, including the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in KwaZulu-Natal.

Bovine TB is a slow-progressing disease and the estimated time from infection to death is between two and five years.

“The majority of lions appear healthy. But lions with advanced disease may show symptoms like swollen elbows, slow-healing wounds, poor coat condition, weight loss, coughing and difficulty breathing,” says Sylvester, who was part of the research group that developed a diagnostic test to diagnose BTB in lions using a single blood sample. Previously a lion had to be captured twice in three days to perform a TB skin test, but with the new method (gene expression assay) a lion will only have to be captured once.

Lions can be infected with BTB when they eat infected buffaloes and other animals.

“Around 40% of the buffaloes tested in the southern part of the KNP were positive for BTB and buffaloes are one of the top prey species for lions. Since buffaloes with BTB may be weaker and lag behind the herd, they may be more susceptible to predation,” says Sylvester.

A recent study by the Animal TB Research Group also suggests that lions may be able to transmit bacteria between themselves through respiratory secretions (droplets transmitted through sneezing or coughing). These findings still have to be confirmed.

Lions are apex predators which determine the balance of species and therefore impact biodiversity in an ecosystem.

Lions one of the main attractions

“In a park such as the KNP, which is South Africa’s largest wildlife refuge and a critical biodiversity resource, the loss of lions could have significant effects on the ecosystem,” says Sylvester.

“In 2006, KNP generated approximately R1.5 billion for the region. Lions are one of the main attractions for visitors and a loss of one of the ‘Big Five’ could have economic consequences.”

Although lions infected with BTB do not pose a direct threat to humans, sick lions may be too weak to hunt their normal prey and may roam closer to areas inhabited by humans and livestock.

“Increased awareness of TB in wildlife is the first step in addressing the ecological, conservation, socioeconomic and public health issues associated with this disease,” Sylvester says. “Since BTB affects a wide diversity of species, including domestic animals, wildlife, and humans, research is crucial to understanding the origin, prevalence and risk factors associated with intra- and interspecies transmission.”

https://www.pressreader.com/south-afric ... 7932774137

Prevalence of bovine TB in Kruger Park lions could be dire. Cape Times - 2019-08-22

This is from March 2019, but a good overview on TB in different species


https://rhombusmedia.co.za/2019/03/23/t ... -day-2019/


TUBERCULOSIS A REAL THREAT TO KRUGER LIONS AND RHINOS – WORLD TUBERCULOSIS DAY 2019

MARCH 23, 2019 |

SKUKUZA – Tuberculosis (TB) is usually considered a human problem. It is seldom taken notice of when present in animals. Due to groundbreaking research by animal experts, the scientific management of this threat to wildlife health is gaining ground.
Rhombus Media spoke to an expert on TB in animals for World Tuberculosis Day 2019, 24 March 2019.

“Wildlife TB has significant consequences, especially for threatened and endangered species. We just do not know enough about the disease. Research is crucial for formulating strategies to prevent and manage the impact thereof,” says Professor Michele Miller, who is on the faculty of the Department of Biomedical Science at the Stellenbosch University Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.

She has done research with a team of experts and postgraduate students as well as the Veterinary Wildlife Services staff of the KNP on the disease in Kruger National Park (KNP) and Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park animals since 2014.
Miller is also the National Research Foundation’s South African Research Chair in Animal TB which functions as part of the Department of Science and Technology–National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence for Biomedical TB Research and South African Medical Research Council. She holds a B.S. in Physics and Zoology, an M.S. and PhD in Veterinary Science, D.V.M., from the University of Wisconsin, and M.P.H. from University of Florida. For eleven years, she has served at Disney’s Animal Programs in Buena Vista, FL, where she was Veterinary Operations Manager and staff veterinarian.

One of the recent findings (2017) of Miller and her research team was that more than 40 per cent of the Kruger Park lions in a test group tested positive for the disease even though at the time the disease might not have developed in some of them.
The first noted case of TB in lions in the KNP was in 1996.

Older lions and males mostly infected

The research shows that older lions, male lions and immune-compromised lions may be more prone to be infected. The southern part of the KNP has the most infected lions. The Crocodile Bridge pride had the highest prevalence of the disease in this study.

“Since the Kruger Park is one of the remaining strongholds for lions in Southern Africa, this scenario is extremely worrying,” says Miller.
She noted that researchers do not have good evidence to prove how the disease progresses in lions and pointed out that some of these signs included elbow swelling and non-specific symptoms like scruffy coats, weight loss, and bone infections.

“We also do not know and understand the impact of TB on conservation in a park like the KNP. With the lions, the loss of an apex predator will have a detrimental effect on the ecosystem. We need a much longer period to really research this in depth.”

TB treatment in animals not a realistic option

Currently, there is no available treatment of TB in wild animals.

“Treatment has been attempted in some zoo animals, but this is complicated by the lack of information on effective drugs, doses and duration of treatment. The drugs used are the same as those in humans and require daily treatment for one to two years, so it is not realistic for wildlife,” says Miller.

Her concern is that infected wildlife can serve as a source of infection for other species, including humans that may have contact.

“Another complication is that TB is a controlled disease in animals and regulated by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (DAFF), which would need to approve any treatment. By the time most wildlife is found with TB, the disease is also advanced and not realistically treatable.”

Transmitting the real danger

She emphasises not only with lions but that the long-term consequences of all wildlife TB in South Africa are unknown.

“Being infected may have an influence on the hunting skills of the lions as well as the pride. Infected individuals also present a risk of transmitting TB,” says Miller.

Test results were possible due to a new molecular technique that Miller and her team developed for detecting infection. Dr Tashnica Sylvester, then a doctoral student at SU’s faculty of medicine and health sciences, did her studies for her PhD on the development of the test.
Sylvester was part of the research group that developed a test to diagnose TB in lions, using a single blood sample. Previously, a capture team captured a lion twice in three days to perform a TB skin test.

With the new test, it is only necessary to capture the animal once.

Miller pointed out that since no single test is perfect, additional tests continue to be investigated that could be used to increase confidence in the diagnosis of infection.

“We are also comparing the strains of the TB bacteria, Mycobacterium bovis, in lions with other species to determine the potential source of infection. For example, we know that buffalo with TB can infect lions but can infected warthogs and antelope also be a source?”
Miller says the problem with tuberculosis in wildlife is that the animals often do not show the typical signs of disease such as weight loss, loss of condition and lethargy until the disease is advanced.
In 2009, a workshop was conducted to model the impact of TB on lion populations in the KNP. Predictions covering the next 50 years showed that the illness was likely to cause an overall decrease in the lion population (a 35–75 per cent decline in the then current population) before stabilising.

TB not only a threat to KNP lions

Researchers have identified more than 20 wildlife species infected with tuberculosis including leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs, rhinoceros, greater kudu, and warthogs.

Studies have shown that animals in close contact with each other can transmit respiratory TB through the air (probably in buffalos), grooming (baboons) or bites. Tuberculosis found in other parts of the body can be contracted when carnivorous animals eat diseased meat.
Animals can pass on a different, but a related strain of TB usually present in people, caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis, to humans through airborne droplets or products such as undercooked meat or unpasteurised milk.

The disease can spread further if other animals eat the carcass of the infected animal. Infected individuals may shed bacteria for long periods without apparent evidence of disease, resulting in transmission through direct contact or contamination of the environment. Mud baths can lead to animals picking up the bacteria if infected animals have contaminated the area.

As the disease advances, animals may experience decreased milk production and fertility, loss of body condition and coughing or other respiratory signs.
How the disease presence also depends on the species.


TB recently found in KNP rhinos

During their 2016-2017 examinations of rhinos (35 white and five black), Miller and her team of researchers discovered that six of the white rhinos were infected. This was during a severe drought in the Lowveld.

“The disease is a controlled disease by DAFF which means animals identified as infected cannot be relocated. With rhinos, this presents a serious challenge. They sometimes need to be removed to more secure locations to prevent poaching.”
Around the world, rhinos in zoos have been diagnosed with TB, both human and bovine strains.

“Although this showed that these species are susceptible, we still don’t understand how they become infected. One of the ideas is that they may pick up bacteria in a contaminated environment. A key question that we are exploring is whether infected rhinos can transmit the bacteria, especially if they are stressed by translocation since this could threaten not only the individual but a population,” says Miller.

What about elephants?

Elephants will not necessarily show clinical signs for years although infected. If they do show signs, it might be similar to those of humans like weight loss.

Miller and her team recently published a paper on the first case of human tuberculosis found in an elephant in the KNP. A study is underway to screen elephants for tuberculosis (TB) with the human and bovine strains at the KNP since 2017 after the disease was detected in this elephant.
Miller said that active surveillance, detection before the disease is widely spread and identifying potential sources are important parts of any management plan to combat TB in animals.

“Sometimes a few difficult decisions need to be taken to secure a healthy future for the conservation of animals on the whole. Since we often find TB in wildlife only once the individual has advanced disease, the best decision for that individual’s welfare is to euthanize.”
Once the disease has been detected in a wildlife population, it is often difficult to control since it may have been years that the infection was present before it was discovered.

“The medical, veterinary, and wildlife communities have been struggling to address TB for decades, with some progress on our understanding and management, however, due to the chronic insidious nature and complexities surrounding this disease, we will not likely eliminate this threat to wildlife in the near future.”