Jab could save baby elephants from deadly virus

A new vaccine could protect Asian elephants from a disease that is a threat to captive and wild populations alike

BY Rhys Blakely

If the project succeeds, we’ll owe a debt to Brazos, a two-year-old Asian elephant who lives at the Fort Worth Zoo in Texas. He has just become the ninth animal to receive a test dose of a potentially groundbreaking vaccine designed to fend off one of the most serious threats facing his species.

The jab will hopefully protect him from elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) — the biggest killer of baby Asian elephants living in captivity in Europe and North America, and a growing menace to endangered wild populations.

After promising initial results, a trial to test how well the vaccine works will be expanded to include about 25 more animals in the new year. If successful, the vaccine could be introduced on a much wider scale in three to five years.

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