The North American EEHV Advisory Group is an excellent resource for information and assistance. Their mission is to disseminate knowledge of current best practices for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of EEHV. The EEHV Advisory Group also provides private and public elephant-holding facilities with technical assistance and facilitates research by building international collaborations. The EEHV Advisory Group consists of individuals that focus on guiding the group’s mission, veterinary care, elephant management, research, pathology, public relations, education, and international liaisons. There are parallel regional working groups in Europe, Thailand, Asia, and Africa. These groups are an indispensable resource when faced with treating an elephant with EEHV.
WHAT WE’RE DOING:
Our vision is a world where no elephant dies from EEHV. We are working against the clock to save elephants, both in our country and around the world.
By advancing research and best practices for EEHV disease prevention and treatment, we are providing hope and a path forward for elephants and the people who care for them.
WHY IT MATTERS:
There are thirty-six African elephants in the US who are vulnerable to death or illness from EEHV.
There are twenty-three Asian elephants in the US who are vulnerable to death or illness from EEHV.
These 59 elephants are the future of our herds in the United States, and their survival is critical to having healthy elephants on our continent for generations to come, for our children and grandchildren to cherish, just as we do.
But that is not all. By learning to protect elephants under our care, we are unlocking the key to protect elephants globally from EEHV disease.
Free ranging elephant populations in Africa and across Asia are fragmented and are negatively impacted by human activities, habitat loss, and climate change. As these iconic herds become more isolated from each other, herd immunity from EEHV disease will decrease, and these majestic giants will be more vulnerable to death or illness from EEHV. The work we are doing today helps to lay the groundwork for understanding and preventing EEHV disease in our remaining herds of free ranging elephants across the planet.
13th International EEHV Workshop in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
May 13, 2025
May 15th and 16th, 2025, elephant care specialists, veterinarians, veterinary technicians, researchers and scientists gathered to share updates, insights and research results on elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) at the 13th International EEHV Workshop in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Workshop was hosted by the Oklahoma City Zoo and organized by the North American EEHV Advisory Group. 91 attendees were joined by 54 virtual attendees representing 67 institutions and 12 countries in the two day event.
EEHV, found in elephants worldwide, is a naturally occurring virus that is asymptomatic in adult elephants and can cause severe hemorrhagic disease in young elephants who lack immunity to it. EEHV is the single greatest cause of death of young Asian elephants in the US and Europe and has been associated with over 250 incidents of hemorrhagic disease in elephants throughout Asia. It has also caused more than ten deaths and many severe illnesses in young African elephants in the US and Europe.
Over two days of lectures, discussions and laboratory and barn demonstrations, information presented was focused on informing and preparing colleagues for the successful lifelong care of their young elephants. Exciting news on EEHV1A vaccination trials in the US and the Netherlands was shared, as well as regional updates from Thailand and India, and gaps in EEHV knowledge and future EEHV research needs were discussed.
In the US, a recent increase in elephant pregnancies and births is beginning to reverse the population sustainability crisis threatening both elephant species, and many institutions are caring for young elephants for the first time. As these young elephants enter the first decade of their lives, they are at an increased risk of illness or death from EEHV hemorrhagic disease.
EEHV hemorrhagic disease is a devastating illness that impacts everyone who cares for elephants, as well as the elephants themselves. The collective knowledge about EEHV that has been gained worldwide in the last decade is bringing us closer than ever to the EEHV Advisory Group’s vision of zero EEHV elephant deaths. By attending the workshop, sharing insights, and taking lessons learned back to their home institutions, attendees are doing their part to save elephants from EEHV hemorrhagic disease and to be all in for elephants.
Dr. Gary S. Hayward, Ph.D. a molecular virologist at John Hopkins University received the North American EEHV Advisory Group’s Enduring Impact Award in recognition of his pioneering research, transformative work, and lasting contributions to the understanding of Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV). Dr. Hayward’s dedication to unraveling the complexities of this virus has profoundly shaped scientific knowledge and advanced global efforts to protect and preserve elephant populations.
The workshop would not have been possible without the support of local host Oklahoma City Zoo, and workshop sponsors Columbus Zoo, Sedgwick County Zoo, Vantara, the Elephant Managers Association, the EEHV Consortium at the National Zoo Elephant Herpesvirus Laboratory, Asian Elephant Support, and the Association of Zoo Veterinary Technicians. Visit www.eehvinfo.org for more information.
