Success achieved in treating TB in elephants

By Basanta Parajuli,Narayangadh, Aug. 12: Elephants can now be successfully treated for tuberculosis (TB). In the past four years, no signs of TB have been observed in Chitwan’s elephants, which proves that the treatment has been effective.

Dr. Vijay Shrestha, a veterinarian at Chitwan National Park (CNP), said that there were no signs of tuberculosis in elephants for a long time. “In the past, elephants used to die of TB, but now the disease has not been identified in any elephant,” he said.

He also said that 67 elephants in Chitwan have been cured by administering TB medication.

Bahadur Ganj, an elephant currently stationed in Sauraha, is regularly deployed for park security patrols. This elephant was treated for TB in 2010. Similarly, Menakakali, an elephant currently at the Gaduwaline Post of Parsa National Park, was treated for TB in 2011. Among the elephants treated for TB, two have died, but post-mortem examinations did not show any TB symptoms.

“The last elephant to die in the park was Bhola Prasad, who had been treated for TB. A long time after treatment, when this elephant died, no signs of tuberculosis were found during the post-mortem,” said Manipur Chaudhary, head of the Elephant Breeding Centre, Khorsor.

Elephants usually recover from TB after they are given medicine regularly for one year. Dr. Shrestha said that elephants infected with TB were given Ethambutol, Rifampicin and Isoniazid, which are also used for humans. “This medication needs to be administered to elephants at a dose 40 times more than to humans,” he informed.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the Asian elephant as an endangered species. These elephants are found in Nepal and a few neighbouring countries. 

By 2020, at least 15 elephants in Chitwan were reported to have died of tuberculosis. “When elephants began dying frequently, TB testing was conducted based on their symptoms,” Chaudhary said.

“When the then King Birendra came to Chitwan for safaris, he would choose the elephant Pashupati Kali for jungle safaris. This very elephant was the first to die of TB in 2008,” Chaudhary said.

TB is a type of infection that affects the lungs and can also impact the brain and spine. If not treated in time, it can be fatal. Like humans, elephants with TB exhibit symptoms such as a persistent cough, mild fever at night, excessive fatigue, night sweats, chills and increased appetite. Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that cause TB, can spread through the air when an infected individual coughs or sneezes.

Dr. Amir Sadaula, a veterinarian at the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC), said that testing for TB in elephants is challenging. However, he said that while it is impossible to perform X-rays of an elephant’s lungs due to their thick skin, TB can be identified through saliva tests. 

“General tests are conducted in Chitwan itself, but for cultures, we send samples to Kathmandu, where they are tested in a lab designed for human TB,” he added. Collecting saliva from elephants is difficult because of the distance between the tip of their trunk to their lungs.

Dr. Sadaula informed that due to their massive size, elephants are given medication, the dose is 40 times higher than those prescribed for humans, which has proven effective in curing TB in these animals. With some elephants weighing up to 4,000 kilograms, each one required between 150 to 200 tablets for successful treatment.

Administering medicine to elephants is not easy. 

Experts suggest that food like molasses and cucumbers are mixed with the medicine and fed to the elephants. If that does not work, the medicine is dissolved in water and administered through the rectum using a pipe. However, doctors said that administering medication through the rectum is not as effective as oral administration.

Nepal has 107 elephants in national parks and protected areas, and 50 in private sectors. Among these, Chitwan has 55 elephants in the national park and 40 in the private sector. 

According to the CNP data, there are around 200 wild elephants in Nepal, with 55 to 60 of them residing in Chitwan.