STUDIES ON MORTALITIES IN ASIAN ELEPHANTS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO PATHOLOGY OF HERPESVIRUS INFECTIONS
Loading...
Date
2022
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
KARNATAKA VETERINARY, ANIMAL AND FISHERIES SCIENCES UNIVERSITY, BIDAR
Abstract
The present study entitled “Studies on mortalities in Asian elephants with
special reference to pathology of herpesvirus infections” was conducted at the
Department of Veterinary Pathology, Veterinary College, Shivamogga. Information
on necropsy of elephant deaths from 2019 to 2021 were studied. Proportional
mortality rate of deaths due to infectious causes were more in captive elephants,
whereas deaths due to non-infectious causes were more among wild elephants.
Among infectious causes, deaths due to bacterial etiology were more and among noninfectious
causes, electrocution deaths were common in captive and wild elephants
respectively. Calves and sub-adult were prone for deaths due to infectious causes,
compared to adults where deaths due to non-infectious causes prevailed. Deaths in
female elephants were more in captivity, whereas vice-versa was prevalent in wild
habitats.
Pathomorphology of herpesvirus infections in Asian elephant mortalities in
confirmed cases revealed renal cortical and medullary congestion, glomerular
syncytia formation. Liver showed severe sinusoidal congestion, cardiac cirrhosis,
focal parenchymal and sub capsular haemorrhages. Edema, haemorrhages and
multifocal heart failure cells were seen in lungs. Epicardial, endocardial, atrial
myocardial and valvular haemorrhages, and intra-nuclear inclusion bodies were seen
in endothelial cells in heart. Lymphoid depletion in white pulp and Peri-arterial
Lymphatic Sheaths (PALS) with haemosiderosis in red pulp were seen in spleen.
Lingual inter-muscular haemorrhages and congestion, haemorrhagic enteritis, mucosal
and serosal haemorrhages were observed. The haemorrhages seen may be due to
endothelial injury caused by viral localization and inflammatory reactions in various
organs.
Keywords: Asian elephants, Herpesvirus