Recently, the ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute (ICAR-IVRI), Bareilly, has found the exact status of elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus subtypes (EEHV) and its subtypes circulating among Asian elephant population in India.
EEHVs is a type of herpesvirus that can cause a highly fatal haemorrhagic disease in young Asian elephants.
It is a double-stranded DNA virus that is classified in the family Herpesviridae.
Majority of elephants also carry this virus.
When EEHV is triggered, the elephant dies of massive internal bleeding and symptoms which are hardly visible.
The disease is usually fatal, with a short course of 28-35 hours.