🔗 Share this article Vaccine Breakthrough for Deadly Elephant Virus Chester Zoo has lost seven baby elephants to the illness caused by the virus Researchers have made a major advance in developing a new vaccine to combat a deadly virus that affects young elephants. The vaccine, developed by an global scientific group, aims to prevent the serious illness caused by elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV), which is presently a leading cause of death in juvenile Asian elephants. The research involved elephants at a prominent zoo In trials that involved adult elephants at the facility, the vaccine was found to be safe and, importantly, to stimulate part of the immune system that helps combating viruses. A lead scientist described this as "a pivotal step in our work to safeguard Asian elephants". It is hoped that the outcome of this pioneering study will open the door to preventing the fatalities of young elephants from the harmful condition caused by this virus. Severe Consequences EEHV has had a particularly destructive effect in zoos. At one facility alone, multiple baby elephants have died to it over the last decade. It has additionally been detected in wild elephant herds and in certain refuges and care centers. It causes a bleeding disorder - unchecked bleeding that can be deadly within a day. It leads to death in over eighty percent of instances in juvenile elephants. The following phase is to evaluate the new vaccine in more vulnerable elephants Comprehending the Danger Why EEHV can be so dangerous is still unknown. Many adult elephants host the virus - seemingly with no negative impact on their health. But it is thought that young elephants are especially vulnerable when they are being transitioned from milk, and when the protective antibodies from the mother's milk decrease. At this phase, a calf's immune system is in a precarious state and it can become overpowered. "It may lead to extremely serious disease," Dr Katie Edwards stated. "It impacts elephants in nature, but we don't have an exact number of how many fatalities in overall it has resulted in. For elephants in human care though, there have been more than 100 deaths." Vaccine Development The scientists hope the vaccine will eventually be used to safeguard elephants in their natural environment The research team, headed by animal health experts, created the new vaccine using a proven "framework". Basically, the basic structure of this vaccine is the same to one commonly employed to vaccinate elephants against a virus called cowpox. The scientists seeded this vaccine structure with proteins from EEHV - non-infectious parts of the virus that the animal's immune system might identify and respond to. In a pioneering experiment, the team tested the new vaccine in several fit, adult elephants at the zoo, then analysed blood samples from the vaccinated animals. Prof Steinbach stated that the findings, published in a research publication, were "more successful than anticipated". "The results demonstrated, clearly that the vaccine was effective to stimulate the generation of T cells, that are vital to fighting viral infections." Future Steps The next step for the researchers is to try the vaccine in more juvenile elephants, which are the creatures most vulnerable to serious disease. The aim is to create a vaccine that can be delivered and stored where it is required The present immunization involves four shots to be administered, so an additional objective is to determine if the same effective dose can be provided in a more straightforward way - possibly with fewer jabs. Dr Edwards explained: "In the end we want to employ this vaccine in the elephants that are at risk, so we need to make sure that we can get it to where it's necessary." The project lead continued: "We think this is a major step forward, and not just only for the elephants, but because it also shows that you can design and apply vaccines to assist endangered species."