Prevalence of Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus (EEHV) in captive breeding Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in Nepal

Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) is a growing threat to the Asian elephant population worldwide. The disease is characterized by sudden onset of lethargy, edema of the head, proboscis and limbs, oral ulcers, and internal hemorrhaging. If left untreated, the infection will result in death within one week of the onset of symptoms. There is currently no knowledge of the prevalence of EEHV in Nepal, a country within the natural range of wild Asian elephants. The objective of this project is to determine whether latent EEHV infections are present in the captive breeding herd at the elephant breeding center in the Chitwan National Park, Nepal. This work is being carried out in collaboration with DNPWC and Tufts University (USA).