The Houston Zoo/Baylor College of Medicine EEHV research collaboration recently received a $550,000 grant to research the leading cause of death in Asian elephants.
Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) is the leading cause of death in Asian elephants under the age of 8 in the care of humans. Since 1978, 60 cases of EEHV in North America and Europe, as well as 20 EEHV deaths in Asia among wild and managed elephants, have been confirmed. This devastating disease is a significant threat to self-sustaining populations of managed and free ranging Asian elephants worldwide.
The news of the grant was announced at the 7th annual International Elephant Herpes Workshop on Jan. 24-25. The workshop broke more than 80 participants from five countries, including veterinarians, virologists, epidemiologists, elephant care specialists and administrators.
The research grant is made possible by The Dan L. Duncan Family.
“Finding a treatment or cure for EEHV is crucial to the sustainability of Asian elephant populations, not only in zoos but in many wild herds. This grant from the Duncan family in honor of the late Dan L. Duncan will provide critical funding to support the collaboration’s ongoing EEHV research. We are honored and deeply grateful,” said Houston Zoo Director Rick Barongi. “In the past two years, since the Houston Zoo/BCM research collaboration began, we have made more progress in EEHV research than at any other time since the elephant herpes virus was identified 16 years ago.”
Due to the ground-breaking research carried out by the Houston zoo/BCM team, researchers now believe that all Asian elephants, captive and wild, regardless of geographic location harbor certain types of herpes viruses.
“A vital mission for the Houston Zoo/BCM research collaboration is determining why the virus is fatal for some young elephants and not others. In addition the BCM research team is working to identify which human anti-herpesvirus drugs are most effective for treating EEHV-associated disease,” said Barongi.
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