Long-term, intermittent, low-level elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus 1A viremia in a captive Asian elephant calf

Abstract

A 2-y-old male Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), with an elevated platelet count (1,100 × 109/L [1,100 × 103/mm3]), tested positive for elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus 1A (EEHV-1A) on conventional PCR (cPCR) of EDTA whole blood. No clinical signs were ever reported and no treatment was administered, but low-level viremia persisted for 2.5 y based on results of cPCR and/or real-time PCR (rtPCR). Sequencing confirmed that the EEHV-1A detected was identical at the beginning through the end of the time period. No other elephants in the herd tested positive for EEHV-1 during this time period. Platelet counts remained elevated throughout the viremia and throughout the animal’s life, and direct correlation between the elevated platelet counts and EEHV-1A viremia could not be confirmed. We document long-term, intermittent, low-level viremia of EEHV-1A and provide additional information to consider when determining if treatment is warranted in a case of EEHV infection.