Abstract
Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) can cause a devastating haemorrhagic disease in young Asian elephants worldwide. Here, we report the death of two young Asian elephants after suffering from acute haemorrhagic disease due to EEHV-1A infection. We detected widespread distribution of EEHV-1A in various organs and tissues of the infected elephants. Enveloped viral particles accumulated within and around cytoplasmic electron-dense bodies in hepatic endothelial cells were detected. Attempts to isolate the virus on different cell cultures showed limited virus replication; however, late viral protein expression was detected in infected cells. We further showed that glycoprotein B (gB) of EEHV-1A possesses a conserved cleavage site Arg-X-Lys/Arg-Arg that is targeted by the cellular protease furin, similar to other members of the Herpesviridae. We have determined the complete 180 kb genome sequence of EEHV-1A isolated from the liver by next-generation sequencing and de novo assembly. As virus isolation in vitro has been unsuccessful and limited information is available regarding the function of viral proteins, we have attempted to take the initial steps in the development of suitable cell culture system and virus characterization. In addition, the complete genome sequence of an EEHV-1A in Europe will facilitate future studies on the epidemiology and diagnosis of EEHV infection in elephants.
Highlights
Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) are an endangered animal species
We further showed that glycoprotein B of endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV)-1A possesses a conserved cleavage site Arg-X-Lys/Arg-Arg that is targeted by the cellular protease furin, similar to other members of the Herpesviridae
We have examined two fatal cases of EEHV-1A in young Asian elephants in captivity
Summary
Existence of the species is further threatened by the emergence of a lethal herpesvirus, elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV). Infection with this virus can cause a devastating haemorrhagic disease, mostly in young Asian elephants between one and eight years of age, with up to 85% mortality. Acute death of a young Asian elephant with haemorrhagic disease of unknown aetiology was first reported in 1988 [3]; retrospectively, the cause of the reported disease was identified as EEHV [1]. More than 100 confirmed cases of deaths of young elephants due to EEHVs have been reported in Asia, Europe, and North America [4,5]. EEHV infections have been reported mostly in Asian elephant calves in zoos. Tracking elephant health in the wild is difficult, which may contribute to the low number of documented EEHV cases of wild elephants
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