Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus Hemorrhagic Disease Management Guidelines for Asian and African Elephants
OVERVIEW OF EEHV AND EEHV HD
Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus Hemorrhagic Disease (EEHV HD) is a rapidly fatal disease affecting Asian and African elephants and is caused by several similar, but genetically distinct novel herpesviruses. EEHV is endemic within the Asian and African elephant populations and has been the cause of morbidity and mortality in elephants both in the wild and under human care. EEHV HD occurs primarily in elephants between 1-15 years of age. The clinically detectable course of EEHV HD is sudden and death can occur hours after the first clinical signs are observed, without clinical signs (sudden death), or the elephant may exhibit clinical signs for a week or more prior to death. This is a particularly devastating disease for elephant care teams, veterinary teams, and conservationists, and it is a serious threat to all populations of elephants. Adult elephants can develop disease associated with an EEHV infection and clinical signs are generally less severe presumably due to a pre-existing adaptative immune response. In North America, EEHV 1 is the most common species associated with EEHV HD in Asian elephants. EEHV 4 and EEHV 5 have also been implicated in causing disease, but less frequently. EEHV 2, EEHV 3, and EEHV 6 have been associated with illness and death in African elephants. Elephants can survive an acute episode of EEHV HD through a combination of timely diagnosis, rapid treatment, and innate and adaptive immunity.
Understanding the current knowledge and the significant gaps in information about the viruses and the diseases they cause is crucial for making informed decision about initiating and adjusting the treatment based on the condition of the individual patient and the herd, as well as adapting the response of the team.
EEHV emergency drills should be conducted once or twice a year to ensure that the response is swift and accurate. Assigned tasks and responsibilities, identification of deficiencies and successes, and debriefing and addressing areas of concerns will create stronger teams.
North American institutions are encouraged to register to gain access to the North American EEHV Advisory Group’s Resource Database, developed to centralize human and material resources, optimize response teams, and provide support to organizations. For further information on EEHV and EEHV HD, please use the links listed here:
https://eehvinfo.org
https://eehvinfo.org/about-us/eehv-information/
https://eehvinfo.org/publications/
