Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus Is Omnipresent in Elephants in European Zoos and an Asian Elephant Range Country
Elephant endotheliotropic herpesviruses (EEHVs) may cause acute, often lethal, hemorrhagic disease (EEHV-HD) in young elephants. Prevalence of EEHV in different elephant populations is still largely unknown. In order to improve diagnostic tools for the detection of EEHV infections and to obtain insi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-02-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/2/283 |
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| author | Tabitha E. Hoornweg Willem Schaftenaar Gilles Maurer Petra B. van den Doel Fieke M. Molenaar Alexandre Chamouard-Galante Francis Vercammen Victor P. M. G. Rutten Cornelis A. M. de Haan |
| author_facet | Tabitha E. Hoornweg Willem Schaftenaar Gilles Maurer Petra B. van den Doel Fieke M. Molenaar Alexandre Chamouard-Galante Francis Vercammen Victor P. M. G. Rutten Cornelis A. M. de Haan |
| author_sort | Tabitha E. Hoornweg |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Elephant endotheliotropic herpesviruses (EEHVs) may cause acute, often lethal, hemorrhagic disease (EEHV-HD) in young elephants. Prevalence of EEHV in different elephant populations is still largely unknown. In order to improve diagnostic tools for the detection of EEHV infections and to obtain insight into its spread among elephants, we developed novel ELISAs based on EEHV1A gB and gH/gL. Performance of the ELISAs was assessed using sera from 41 European zoo elephants and 69 semi-captive elephants from Laos, one of the Asian elephant range countries. Sera from all (sub)adult animals tested (≥5 years of age) showed high reactivity with both gB and gH/gL, indicating that EEHV prevalence has been highly underestimated so far. Reactivity towards the antigens was generally lower for sera of juvenile animals (1 > 5 years). Only one (juvenile) animal, which was sampled directly after succumbing to EEHV-HD, was found to be seronegative for EEHV. The two other EEHV-HD cases tested showed low antibody levels, suggesting that all three cases died upon a primary EEHV infection. In conclusion, our study suggests that essentially all (semi-)captive (sub)adult elephants in European zoos and in Laos carry EEHV, and that young elephants with low antibody levels are at risk of dying from EEHV-HD. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T00:57:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-49b055231e894cd08bd36cea4b8c7aba |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T00:57:31Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-49b055231e894cd08bd36cea4b8c7aba2023-12-11T16:48:19ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152021-02-0113228310.3390/v13020283Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus Is Omnipresent in Elephants in European Zoos and an Asian Elephant Range CountryTabitha E. Hoornweg0Willem Schaftenaar1Gilles Maurer2Petra B. van den Doel3Fieke M. Molenaar4Alexandre Chamouard-Galante5Francis Vercammen6Victor P. M. G. Rutten7Cornelis A. M. de Haan8Section Virology, Division Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CL Utrecht, The NetherlandsVeterinary Advisor EAZA Elephant TAG, Rotterdam Zoo, 3041 JG Rotterdam, The NetherlandsCenter for Functional and Evolutionary Ecology (CEFE), Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ. Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, 34090 Montpellier, FranceViroScience Lab, Erasmus Medical Center, 3015 CN Rotterdam, The NetherlandsZoological Society of London, ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, Dunstable LU6 2LF, Bedfordshire, UKÉcole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, FranceAntwerp Zoo Centre for Research and Conservation, Antwerp Zoo Society, 2018 Antwerp, BelgiumSection Immunology, Division Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CL Utrecht, The NetherlandsSection Virology, Division Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CL Utrecht, The NetherlandsElephant endotheliotropic herpesviruses (EEHVs) may cause acute, often lethal, hemorrhagic disease (EEHV-HD) in young elephants. Prevalence of EEHV in different elephant populations is still largely unknown. In order to improve diagnostic tools for the detection of EEHV infections and to obtain insight into its spread among elephants, we developed novel ELISAs based on EEHV1A gB and gH/gL. Performance of the ELISAs was assessed using sera from 41 European zoo elephants and 69 semi-captive elephants from Laos, one of the Asian elephant range countries. Sera from all (sub)adult animals tested (≥5 years of age) showed high reactivity with both gB and gH/gL, indicating that EEHV prevalence has been highly underestimated so far. Reactivity towards the antigens was generally lower for sera of juvenile animals (1 > 5 years). Only one (juvenile) animal, which was sampled directly after succumbing to EEHV-HD, was found to be seronegative for EEHV. The two other EEHV-HD cases tested showed low antibody levels, suggesting that all three cases died upon a primary EEHV infection. In conclusion, our study suggests that essentially all (semi-)captive (sub)adult elephants in European zoos and in Laos carry EEHV, and that young elephants with low antibody levels are at risk of dying from EEHV-HD.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/2/283EEHVherpesviruseselephantimmunoserologygBgH/gL |
| spellingShingle | Tabitha E. Hoornweg Willem Schaftenaar Gilles Maurer Petra B. van den Doel Fieke M. Molenaar Alexandre Chamouard-Galante Francis Vercammen Victor P. M. G. Rutten Cornelis A. M. de Haan Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus Is Omnipresent in Elephants in European Zoos and an Asian Elephant Range Country Viruses EEHV herpesviruses elephant immunoserology gB gH/gL |
| title | Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus Is Omnipresent in Elephants in European Zoos and an Asian Elephant Range Country |
| title_full | Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus Is Omnipresent in Elephants in European Zoos and an Asian Elephant Range Country |
| title_fullStr | Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus Is Omnipresent in Elephants in European Zoos and an Asian Elephant Range Country |
| title_full_unstemmed | Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus Is Omnipresent in Elephants in European Zoos and an Asian Elephant Range Country |
| title_short | Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus Is Omnipresent in Elephants in European Zoos and an Asian Elephant Range Country |
| title_sort | elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus is omnipresent in elephants in european zoos and an asian elephant range country |
| topic | EEHV herpesviruses elephant immunoserology gB gH/gL |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/2/283 |
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