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Scientists have achieved a breakthrough in developing a novel vaccine to prevent a fatal virus that affects juvenile elephants.

The inoculation, produced by an global research team, aims to stop the serious disease caused by elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV), which is presently a leading cause of death in juvenile Asian elephants.

In trials that involved adult elephants at Chester Zoo, the vaccine was found to be safe and, crucially, to activate part of the body's defenses that helps fighting viruses.

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

It is hoped that the outcome of this pioneering trial will pave the way to preventing the deaths of young elephants from the dangerous condition caused by this virus.

Severe Consequences

EEHV has had a especially devastating impact in captive environments. At one facility alone, seven baby elephants have succumbed to it over the past ten years. It has additionally been found in wild elephant herds and in some sanctuaries and elephant orphanages.

It causes a bleeding disorder - unchecked bleeding that can be fatal within 24 hours. It leads to death in over eighty percent of cases in juvenile elephants.

Comprehending the Danger

Why EEHV can be so dangerous is remains unclear. Many adult elephants host the virus - apparently with no adverse effects on their well-being. But it is believed that young elephants are particularly susceptible when they are being weaned, and when the immune-boosting antibodies from the mother's milk decrease.

At this stage, a calf's immune system is in a precarious state and it can become overwhelmed. "It may lead to really severe disease," a lead conservation scientist stated.

"It impacts wild elephants, but we lack an exact number of how many fatalities in total it has caused. For elephants in captivity though, there have been more than 100 deaths."

Immunization Creation

The research team, headed by veterinary scientists, developed the novel vaccine using a tried and tested "framework". Basically, the core design of this vaccine is the same to one commonly employed to vaccinate elephants against a virus called a related virus.

The scientists incorporated this vaccine structure with proteins from EEHV - harmless bits of the virus that the elephant's immune system might identify and respond to.

In a world-first experiment, the team tested the novel vaccine in several healthy, mature elephants at Chester Zoo, then examined blood samples from the vaccinated animals.

Prof Steinbach stated that the findings, released in a scientific journal, were "better than we had hoped for".

"The results demonstrated, unequivocally that the vaccine was effective to activate the generation of immune cells, that are crucial to combating viral infections."

Next Phases

The subsequent phase for the researchers is to try the vaccine in more juvenile elephants, which are the creatures most at risk to severe illness.

The current vaccination requires multiple shots to be administered, so another aim is to determine if the equivalent protective dose can be given in a more straightforward way - possibly with fewer jabs.

The conservation scientist clarified: "Ultimately we aim to use this vaccine in the elephants that are in danger, so we need to ensure that we can get it to where it's needed."

Prof Steinbach added: "We believe this is a major step forward, and not necessarily solely for the elephants, but because it additionally shows that you can develop and apply vaccines to assist endangered species."