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Houston Zoo, Baylor College of Medicine Team Up on Elephant Virus
The Houston Zoo and Baylor College of Medicine today announced a ground breaking collaboration on a project to study the elephant herpes virus in an effort to protect elephants in zoos and in the wild from this deadly disease.
The project will involve a full-time research fellow who will work with veterinarians at the Houston Zoo and the faculty members at BCM. Goals of the project will include growing the virus in cell culture, monitoring the elephants at the zoo for active infection using PCR technology, testing the effectiveness of anti-viral drugs as a potential treatment for the virus, solving the mystery of how the virus is spread and developing an effective vaccine for the virus. The research team at both the Zoo and BCM will network with other institutions to better understand this disease and develop more effective treatment options.
Many questions surround the elephant endotheliotropic herpes virus. It affects both Asian and African elephants, but is more often fatal in Asian elephants. It occurs in elephants in captivity and in those who live in the wild.
The elephant herpes virus was identified by the National Zoo in 1995. Herpes viruses are usually species-specific but share common features. Once inside a host, whether human or animal, the virus can go into a latent phase after causing only mild symptoms or no signs of the disease.
In fatal cases, symptoms do not show up in elephants until it is too late for treatment to be effective. Hopefully, with frequent testing, early infections can be identified before the elephants become seriously ill.
Elephants have lived at the Houston Zoo since it opened in 1922. Today, the zoo is home to five Asian elephants – two males and three females.
“The Houston Zoo is committed to this cause, not only to benefit our own elephants, but elephants throughout the world,” said Houston Zoo Director Rick Barongi. “Baylor College of Medicine is a recognized leader in virology research for humans and it is our hope that both elephants and humans will benefit from this study.”
The collaboration between BCM and the Zoo was initiated after Mac, a 2–year-old Asian elephant died of the virus in November. Dr. Alan Herron, director of the Comparative Pathology Laboratory in the Center for Comparative Medicine at BCM, called the Houston Zoo’s Director of Veterinary Services, Dr. Joe Flanagan, and the two of them discussed how beneficial it would be to appropriately test for the disease and to work to develop a vaccine for it.
Herron, an associate professor of pathology and veterinarian, brought in two of BCM’s leading virologists and vaccine experts, Dr. Wendy Keitel and Dr. Robert Atmar, along with Dr. Paul Ling, a BCM faculty member whose laboratory focus is on the human herpes virus. The experts soon agreed that by working together, both animals and humans could benefit.“This project will be one of the most comprehensive efforts to combat the virus,” said Herron. “By sharing expertise and resources, we will work to help elephant survival long-term and we expect it will give us additional information in studying human disease.”
The project will involve a full-time research fellow who will work with veterinarians at the Houston Zoo and the faculty members at BCM. Goals of the project will include growing the virus in cell culture, monitoring the elephants at the zoo for active infection using PCR technology, testing the effectiveness of anti-viral drugs as a potential treatment for the virus, solving the mystery of how the virus is spread and developing an effective vaccine for the virus. The research team at both the Zoo and BCM will network with other institutions to better understand this disease and develop more effective treatment options.
Many questions surround the elephant endotheliotropic herpes virus. It affects both Asian and African elephants, but is more often fatal in Asian elephants. It occurs in elephants in captivity and in those who live in the wild.
The elephant herpes virus was identified by the National Zoo in 1995. Herpes viruses are usually species-specific but share common features. Once inside a host, whether human or animal, the virus can go into a latent phase after causing only mild symptoms or no signs of the disease.
In fatal cases, symptoms do not show up in elephants until it is too late for treatment to be effective. Hopefully, with frequent testing, early infections can be identified before the elephants become seriously ill.
Elephants have lived at the Houston Zoo since it opened in 1922. Today, the zoo is home to five Asian elephants – two males and three females.
There have been a lot of questions asked about the disease that struck our beloved elephant Mac. Here are some frequently asked questions and the answers to those questions.We hope these help you understand this disease a little more.
Q: How do elephants get herpes?
A: There are several strains of elephant herpesviruses which current research now indicates are in all elephants and which reside in a latent, or hidden, phase creating no signs of illness at all. The virus hides in the body, undetectable either by testing or by the body’s immune system. Researchers do not yet know exactly where elephant herpesviruses hide in their latent phase. Nor do they yet know what causes the virus to become active.
A: There are several strains of elephant herpesviruses which current research now indicates are in all elephants and which reside in a latent, or hidden, phase creating no signs of illness at all. The virus hides in the body, undetectable either by testing or by the body’s immune system. Researchers do not yet know exactly where elephant herpesviruses hide in their latent phase. Nor do they yet know what causes the virus to become active.
Many animals and humans carry herpesviruses throughout their lives and never become sick. There is no cure for herpesviruses in animals or humans. Drugs can only suppress the virus’ growth.
For reasons not yet completely understood, herpesviruses can come out of latency and circulate through the bloodstream, going to other organs and causing disease. The only time the elephant herpesvirus can be detected in blood samples is once it becomes active.
Q: Can humans get herpes from elephants or transmit herpes to elephants?
A: There has never been any evidence to indicate that such transmission is possible. The human herpesviruses and elephant herpesviruses are complete different strains (types).
A: There has never been any evidence to indicate that such transmission is possible. The human herpesviruses and elephant herpesviruses are complete different strains (types).
Q: Can elephants transmit herpes to other elephants?
A: Current research indicates that the disease is not transmittable between elephants but rather that every elephant carries their own strain(s) within them. What is unknown is what triggers the virus to become active.
A: Current research indicates that the disease is not transmittable between elephants but rather that every elephant carries their own strain(s) within them. What is unknown is what triggers the virus to become active.
Q: How did elephants get herpes in the first place?
A: The current research indicates that the herpes virus may have been in elephant populations, just as it has been in human populations, in a latent or hidden form for hundreds or maybe even millions of years.
A: The current research indicates that the herpes virus may have been in elephant populations, just as it has been in human populations, in a latent or hidden form for hundreds or maybe even millions of years.
Q: What is being done to cure elephant herpes?
A. Like West Nile virus or avian influenza, elephant herpesviruses are an emerging disease concern. Elephant herpesviruses were first identified in 1995 by researchers at the Smithsonian National Zoo and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. The disease is naturally occurring in the wild, in zoos and in private elephant facilities. There are still many aspects of the disease that are not known but zoos including Houston Zoo are actively involved in research to learn more. In fact the Houston Zoo hosted the first international elephant herpesvirus conference in 2005. The conference brought two dozen of the world’s experts together in the Texas Medical Center. This year’s conference is being held in Thailand and one of our veterinarians, Dr. Lauren Howard will be in attendance.
A. Like West Nile virus or avian influenza, elephant herpesviruses are an emerging disease concern. Elephant herpesviruses were first identified in 1995 by researchers at the Smithsonian National Zoo and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. The disease is naturally occurring in the wild, in zoos and in private elephant facilities. There are still many aspects of the disease that are not known but zoos including Houston Zoo are actively involved in research to learn more. In fact the Houston Zoo hosted the first international elephant herpesvirus conference in 2005. The conference brought two dozen of the world’s experts together in the Texas Medical Center. This year’s conference is being held in Thailand and one of our veterinarians, Dr. Lauren Howard will be in attendance.
Q: I heard about an organization that is calling for zoos to stop breeding elephants and to stop transporting them between zoos. They say that spreads the infection.
A: There are several genetically different elephant herpesviruses. There is now a blood test that can detect when the virus becomes active. Unfortunately once the virus activates, there is very little time in which to diagnose and treat successfully the animal.
A: There are several genetically different elephant herpesviruses. There is now a blood test that can detect when the virus becomes active. Unfortunately once the virus activates, there is very little time in which to diagnose and treat successfully the animal.
The strains of herpesviruses found in symptomatic elephants at different zoos and other institutions are genetically different virus strains. This indicates to researchers that the transfer of elephants between institutions has not caused the spread of the disease.
The herpes virus is never found in elephant semen. We know this because breeding at zoos that don’t have male elephants is accomplished through artificial insemination and the semen is tested before use.
Q: Are the other elephants healthy? Are you worried about their health?
A: Nothing is more important for the Houston Zoo than the health and well-being of our animals. All our elephants are healthy and showing signs that they are content with their lives here at the Zoo – they eat well, play, socialize, vocalize, and interact with their herd mates and keepers in an appropriate and positive manner. Because the diseases is not transmitted from one elephant to the other, we are not worried that one of our other elephants can become ill from the disease that caused Mac’s death.
A: Nothing is more important for the Houston Zoo than the health and well-being of our animals. All our elephants are healthy and showing signs that they are content with their lives here at the Zoo – they eat well, play, socialize, vocalize, and interact with their herd mates and keepers in an appropriate and positive manner. Because the diseases is not transmitted from one elephant to the other, we are not worried that one of our other elephants can become ill from the disease that caused Mac’s death.
We have five elephants and eight keepers. That’s almost two keepers per animal, one of the highest ratios of any zoo. We also have four veterinarians on staff and a total clinic staff of 15. The health of all our elephants is monitored daily. They are examined multiple times per day by the keepers for any signs of change in their health status. Any change is met with a swift response and appropriate treatment.
Q:Why does the Houston Zoo continue to breed elephants when they have had more deaths from the herpes virus than most other zoos?
A. While we have no guarantees as to the fate of future elephant calves we do know that stopping breeding in zoos will severely impede the progress that is being made in studying this disease and finding a cure. As Gary S. Haywood, Ph D., a prominent herpes researcher at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, has stated, “I don’t believe that running away from a problem by stopping captive breeding is the way to solve elephant herpes virus…it is going to become a huge issue in the wild too…it is better to figure out what is going on here and now and learn how to control it and to continue to strengthen/enrich the gene pool in captivity as much as possible.”
In addition to the scientific justification to continue breeding there is also a critical psychological and social reason for having calves. Elephants are incredibly social animals that do much better in family groups than in all adult groups. While Mac only lived two years, in that time he enriched the lives of the other elephants around him and also trained his mother to develop better maternal skills. If you prevent young reproductive females from breeding they will be much more susceptible to reproductive and birthing complications in the future.
Mac was an incredible ambassador for his species and touched the hearts of everyone that met or watched him on exhibit. Without that special real animal experience it will be much more difficult to get people to care about elephants and their survival in the wild. A recent Harris interactive poll validated that most people are more likely to care and support animal conservation if they are able to interact with a real animal than read a book or watch a video. While Mac’s loss is a terrible tragedy, his life was so much more important to our elephant family, his keepers, and to the ongoing research that is necessary to finding a cure for this horrible disease.
