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Tess in Houston Zoo, Texas is doing fine after receiving the first-ever vaccine for herpevirus affecting Asian elephants. The 40-year-old grandmother became the first Asian elephant to receive the vaccine for the deadly virus that has already killed several pachyderms and their cubs in zoos across the world, as well as in captivity.
Elephant herpevirus is a deadly disease affecting the pachyderms in India, Neal and Thailand, besides in several zoos.
Animal care experts and veterinary staff at Houston Zoo will closely monitor Tess to learn how effective this vaccine is for elephants, the Houston Zoo said in a release after administering the injection on 18 June.
The mRNA vaccine was created by Baylor College of Medicine. It was developed by Dr Paul Ling at Baylor College of Medicine in collaboration with Houston Zoo’s veterinarians and elephant care team.
Today, Tess, our 40-year-old Asian elephant has received the first-ever dose of an mRNA vaccine created by virologists at @bcmhouston to prevent the deadly elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) 1A—a devastating viral disease in Asian elephants worldwide. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/uvtqmLgWza
— Houston Zoo (@houstonzoo) June 18, 2024
“The vaccine’s effectiveness will be measured by evaluating antibody levels in her blood while monitoring for specific side effects or adverse reactions such as injection site swelling or allergic reaction,” the Houston zoo statement said.
Tess, mother to Tucker (19), Tupelo (13), Tilly (6), and Teddy (3) and grandmother to Winnie (3), is currently doing well post-vaccination, it added.
Trials, mainly on horses, had shown that the mRNA vaccine can induce antibodies against the virus with no adverse side effects.
The zoo intends to vaccinate more elephants in its herd and monitor them.
There are also plans to send the vaccine to elephants in other parts of the world both in captivity and in the wild.
A vaccine for African elephants is also on the anvil.
What is elephant herpevirus killing Asian elephants?
Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus or EEHV 1A is a deadly viral disease that is killing Asian elephants worldwide, both in captivity and in the wild. Asian elephants in some of the world’s zoos have been dying because of herpevirus.
In July this year, two elephants died from the virus at Dublin zoo. In the recent past, baby elephants have died in zoos in Chester, Melbourne and Zurich of the virus, which has a high mortality rate of about 70%.
In 2022, a five-year-old elephant cow, Ruwan died in the Zurich zoo after succumbing to EEHV. She was the third to die there, the earlier casualties being a two-year-old bull Umesh and his eight-year-old sister Omysha.
The virus causes internal bleeding and organ failure, similar to the effects Ebola on humans. it is particularly lethal for young Asian elephants.
Most Asian elephants – both in the wild and in captivity – carry dormant herpesvirus. The virus, discovered in 1990 and named in 1999, is believed to spread through trunks of the animals.
The virus is a major driver of Asian elephant deaths in captivity.
Asian elephants are a species facing potential extinction, with only 50,000 of the species in the wild.
There have been the elephant herpes virus deaths in India, Nepal, Myanmar and Thailand .
An effective vaccine is the only solution.
Till now, there was no such vaccine, and treatment was mainly anti-viral medication, which often proved to be inefficient.
Tess could change all that, if the experiment is successful.
(With inputs from agencies)
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