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Novel diagnostic and therapeutic methods were utilized in the successful management of severe elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus hemorrhagic disease (EEHV-HD) in a 1.9-yr-old captive Asian elephant (Elephas maximus). High levels of EEHV1A viremia were detected for 12 d. In addition to established EEHV treatments, therapies included famciclovir-fortified elephant whole blood and plasma, mesenchymal stem cells harvested from elephant umbilical tissue, and aminocaproic acid. Testing conducted to examine the effects of EEHV infection on hemostasis suggested marked intravascular coagulation with decreased plasminogen activity and increased D-dimer concentrations. Thromboelastography was used to assess the efficacy of aminocaproic acid and demonstrated hypofibrinolysis on samples taken after drug administration, as compared with samples from healthy adult Asian elephants. A serological assay for a novel EEHV1A-specific antibody marker (E52) was developed due to lack of seroconversion to a previously established EEHV1A-specific antibody marker (ORFQ) and showed a sustained increase after EEHV-HD illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) hemorrhagic disease (EEHV-HD) threatens Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) population sustainability in North America. Clusters of cases have also been reported in African elephants (Loxodonta africana). Risk to range country elephant populations is unknown. Currently, EEHV detection depends upon sampling elephants trained for invasive blood and trunk wash collection. To evaluate noninvasive sample collection options, paired invasively collected (blood, trunk wash and oral swabs), and noninvasively collected (chewed plant and fecal) samples were compared over 6 wk from 9 Asian elephants and 12 African elephants. EEHV shedding was detected simultaneously in a paired trunk wash and fecal sample from one African elephant. Elephant γ herpesvirus-1 shedding was identified in six chewed plant samples collected from four Asian elephants. Noninvasively collected samples can be used to detect elephant herpesvirus shedding. Longer sampling periods are needed to evaluate the clinical usefulness of noninvasive sampling for EEHV detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]