Mycobacterium bovis infection in wildlife species occurs worldwide. However, few cases of
M. bovis infection in captive elephants have been reported. We describe 2 incidental cases of bovine tuberculosis in free-ranging African elephants (
Loxodonta africana) from a tuberculosis-endemic national park in South Africa and the epidemiologic implications of these infections.
Tuberculosis (TB), caused by the human pathogen
Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is a recognized disease in human-managed and wild Asian elephants (
Elephas maximus) and African elephants (
Loxodonta africana) (
3). Previous findings demonstrate the importance of human-elephant interfaces for transmission. However, range countries for African and Asian elephants also have high burdens of bovine TB, caused by