Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus 1, 4 and 5 in China: Occurrence in Multiple Sample Types and Implications for Wild and Captive Population Surveillance
Nian Yang,
Mingwei Bao,
Biru Zhu,
Qingzhong Shen,
Xianming Guo,
Wenwen Li,
Ruchun Tang,
Di Zhu,
Yinpu Tang,
David N. Phalen,
Li Zhang
Affiliations
Nian Yang
Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Mingwei Bao
Wild Elephant Valley, Jinghong 666100, China
Biru Zhu
Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Qingzhong Shen
Ecotourism Management Institute of Yunnan Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve, Jinghong 666100, China
Xianming Guo
Research Institute of Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve, Jinghong 666100, China
Wenwen Li
Key Laboratory of Coastal Science and Integrated Management, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao 266061, China
Ruchun Tang
Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Di Zhu
Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Yinpu Tang
Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
David N. Phalen
Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Li Zhang
Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Elephant endotheliotropic herpesviruses (EEHVs) are important causes of death in both captive and wild Asian elephants (Elephas maximus). Nothing is known about the prevalence of EEHVs in wild or domestic elephants in China. To determine if EEHVs are present in elephants in China, 126 wild elephants from three populations and 202 captive individuals from zoos (n = 155) and the Wild Elephant Valley (n = 47) were screened using semi-nested polymerase chain reaction assays with EEHV-redundant and EEHV1/4/5-specific primers. EEHV1B and EEHV4 were detected in samples from both wild (EEHV1B:8/126; EEHV4:2/126) and captive (EEHV1B:5/155; EEHV4:9/155) elephants, while EEHV1A (six cases) and EEHV5 (one case) were only present in the captive elephants from the Wild Elephant Valley. EEHV1 was detected in blood and trunk and oral swabs; EEHV4 was detected in trunk and oral swabs as well as feces; EEHV5 was found in trunk and oral swabs. No significant age or sex association with EEHV1A, EEHV1B, or EEHV5 positivity was observed. An age association with EEHV4 positivity was found, with all unweaned elephants being EEHV4 positive, but an association with the sex of the elephant was not observed. These findings represent the first documentation of EEHV presence in captive and wild elephants in China. These findings also document EEHV1B and EEHV4 shedding in feces and demonstrate the utility of fecal screening as a tool for investigating EEHV4 infection in wild populations of elephants. It is recommended that EEHV testing be included in surveillance programs for captive and wild elephants in China.
