DETECTION OF ELEPHANT ENDOTHELIOTROPIC HERPESVIRUS IN ASIAN ELEPHANTS (ELEPHAS MAXIMUS)
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Date
2021-08-30
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COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES, MANNUTHY, THRISSUR
Abstract
Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) has emerged as a major
threat to the survival of endangered Asian elephant population. Elephant
endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) infection in Asian elephants is an acute fatal
haemorrhagic disease primarily affecting juvenile Asian elephants. The present
study was proposed to confirm the presence of EEHV infection in Asian elephants
and identification of the chronically infected shedders which will help in controlling
the spread of disease among elephant population. A total of 31 elephants presented
to Teaching Veterinary Clinical Complex, Mannuthy, and those under private
ownership (Thrissur districts), temples and Department of Forests and Wildlife,
Kerala from Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta and Ernakulam during 2019-
2020 were included in this study. The animals were subjected to physical
examination and assessment of haemato-biochemical parameters. The faecal
examination revealed strongyle ova in 22.7 per cent cases and strongyloides ova
and larva in 9.7 per cent cases. Trunk wash samples were collected for PCR. Out of
31 samples, one yielded positive for EEHV and EEHV1 genotype. Sequencing of
the positive PCR product confirmed amplicon similarity to EEHV1. The remaining
30 elephants failed to give the amplicons for EEHV. Haemato-biochemical studies
revealed leukopenia, lymphocytosis and hypoalbuminemia in the affected animal.
Post mortem samples of two elephants from Nilambur forest were subjected to PCR
and not found to have the amplicons of EEHV.
Description
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Veterinary Science in Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine.