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Volume 24, Number 12—December 2018
Research Letter

Conservation of White Rhinoceroses Threatened by Bovine Tuberculosis, South Africa, 2016–2017

Michele A. Miller1Comments to Author , Peter Buss1, Sven D.C. Parsons, Eduard Roos, Josephine Chileshe, Wynand J. Goosen, Louis van Schalkwyk, Lin-Mari de Klerk-Lorist, Markus Hofmeyr2, Guy Hausler, Leana Rossouw, Tebogo Manamela, Emily P. Mitchell3, Rob Warren, and Paul van Helden
Author affiliations: Stellenbosch University, Department of Science and Technology–National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Cape Town, South Africa (M.A. Miller, S.D.C. Parsons, E. Roos, J. Chileshe, W.J. Goosen, G. Hausler, R. Warren, P. van Helden); South African National Parks, Skukuza, South Africa (P. Buss, M. Hofmeyr, L. Rossouw, T. Manamela); Office of the State Veterinarian, Skukuza (L. van Schalkwyk, L.-M. de Klerk-Lorist); National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa (E.P. Mitchell)

Main Article

Table

Findings from 6 Mycobacterium bovis–infected white rhinoceroses, Kruger National Park, South Africa, 2016–2017*

Case no. Age category Sex Date Body condition Features of lesions consistent with bovine TB†
 M. bovis culture– positive tissue pools† AFB on cytology of lesions†
Macroscopic, multifocal mineralized granulomas Multifocal granulomas on histology AFB on histology
1 Subadult M Sep 2016 Thin + Lung and retropharyngeal LN + Lung and retropharyngeal LN – Head, thoracic, and peripheral LNs and lung + LNs
2 Adult F Sep 2016 Thin – Lung and all LNs ND‡ ND‡ Thoracic LN and lung ND‡
3 Adult M Oct 2016 Thin + Lung; – all LNs + Lung; – LNs – Thoracic and abdominal LNs and lung + Lung
4 Subadult F Nov 2016 Thin – Lung; + submandibular, retropharyngeal, tracheobronchial, and mesenteric LNs – Lung; + submandibular, retropharyngeal, tracheobronchial, and mesenteric LNs Rare Head and thoracic LNs + LNs
5 Subadult F Sep 2017 Normal + Lung and prescapular and axillary LNs ND ND Thoracic LN + Lung
6 Adult M Oct 2017 Thin + Lung and prescapular, retropharyngeal, and tracheobronchial LNs ND ND Tracheobronchial, prescapular, and retropharyngeal LNs and lung + Lung and LNs

*AFB, acid-fast bacilli; LN, lymph node; ND, not done; TB, tuberculosis; + feature present; – feature absent.
†LNs were pooled into 4 sets: head (retropharyngeal, submandibular, and cervical); thoracic (tracheobronchial and mediastinal); abdominal (mesenteric and hepatic); and peripheral (axillary, prescapular, and inguinal) LNs.
‡No clinically significant lesions other than inflammation (poaching case).

Main Article

1These first authors contributed equally to this article.

2Current affiliation: Great Plains Conservation, Maun, Botswana.

3Current affiliation: University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.

Page created: November 20, 2018
Page updated: November 20, 2018
Page reviewed: November 20, 2018
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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