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Researchers have achieved a breakthrough in developing a new vaccine to combat a deadly virus that targets juvenile elephants.

The vaccine, produced by an global research team, is designed to stop the severe illness caused by elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV), which is currently a primary cause of death in young Asian elephants.

In tests that included adult elephants at the facility, the vaccine was found to be harmless and, crucially, to activate components of the immune system that helps combating viruses.

Prof Falko Steinbach described this as "a pivotal step in our efforts to safeguard Asian elephants".

It is hoped that the result of this first-of-its-kind trial will pave the way to averting the fatalities of juvenile elephants from the dangerous condition caused by this virus.

Devastating Impact

EEHV has had a especially devastating impact in captive environments. At one facility alone, multiple young elephants have succumbed to it over the last decade. It has also been found in natural populations and in certain sanctuaries and care centers.

It causes a haemorrhagic disease - uncontrolled hemorrhaging that can be fatal within 24 hours. It results in death in over eighty percent of cases in juvenile elephants.

Comprehending the Danger

Why EEHV can be so dangerous is still unclear. Many mature elephants host the virus - apparently with no negative impact on their well-being. But it is believed that young calves are especially susceptible when they are being weaned, and when the immune-boosting antibodies from the mother's milk decrease.

At this stage, a young elephant's natural defenses is in a delicate state and it can become overpowered. "It may lead to extremely serious illness," Dr Katie Edwards stated.

"It impacts elephants in nature, but we lack an precise count of how many deaths in total it has caused. For elephants in human care though, there have been more than 100 deaths."

Immunization Creation

The scientific group, headed by veterinary scientists, created the new vaccine using a tried and tested "scaffold". Essentially, the core design of this vaccine is the same to one commonly employed to immunise elephants against a virus called a related virus.

The researchers seeded this immunization framework with components from EEHV - non-infectious bits of the virus that the animal's defense system might identify and react against.

In a pioneering trial, the team evaluated the novel vaccine in several healthy, mature elephants at Chester Zoo, then examined blood samples from the vaccinated animals.

The lead researcher commented that the results, released in a research publication, were "more successful than anticipated".

"They showed, unequivocally that the vaccine was able to stimulate the generation of T cells, that are vital to combating virus attacks."

Next Phases

The subsequent phase for the scientists is to try the vaccine in more juvenile elephants, which are the creatures most vulnerable to serious illness.

The current vaccination requires 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.

The conservation scientist explained: "Ultimately we aim to use this vaccine in the elephants that are at risk, so we want to make sure that we can get it to where it's needed."

The project lead continued: "We believe this is a major step forward, and not just only for the elephants, but because it additionally shows that you can develop and use vaccines to assist threatened animals."