Seven zoo employees from Multnomah County, Ore., were infected with tuberculosis (TB) by three of the elephants under their supervision in 2013. The three elephants that were positive with Mycobacterium tuberculosis have already been isolated from the zoo and have received treatment, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Ninety-six people who made contact with the elephants in the zoo were tested, and officials found that seven of them were positive for having a latent case of tuberculosis. The seven infected zoo workers were then provided with proper medical attention, Medical Xpress reported.
Multnomah County's Deputy Health Officer Dr. Jennifer Vines said that those who were positive with tuberculosis were not infectious, and none of those who went to the zoo are at risk, according to Oregon Live.
Bob Lee, the elephant curator for the Multnomah County Zoo, said that they conducted several treatments that last for months to treat the three elephants that were TB positive. They were isolated from other elephants and animals, and the staff who took care of them had proper protective masks.
"There was a lot of contact," Lee said. "We just don't want them sharing the same air space."
The elephants who had M. tuberculosis were identified as Rama, 20, its father Packy, 51, and Tusko, 44, according to Reuters.
