Low gH/gL (Sub)Species-Specific Antibody Levels Indicate Elephants at Risk of Fatal Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus Hemorrhagic Disease.

ABSTRACT: Elephant endotheliotropic herpesviruses (EEHVs), of which eleven (sub)species are currently distinguished, infect either Asian (Elephas maximus) or African elephants (Loxodonta species). While all adult elephants are latently infected with at least one EEHV (sub)species, young elephants, specifically those with low to non-detectable EEHV-specific antibody levels, may develop fatal hemorrhagic disease (EEHV-HD) upon infection. However, animals with high antibody levels against EEHV(1A) gB, an immunodominant antigen recognized by antibodies elicited against multiple (sub)species, may also occasionally succumb to EEHV-HD. To better define which animals are at risk of EEHV-HD, gB and gH/gL ELISAs were developed for each of the Asian elephant EEHV subspecies and assessed using 396

SUBMITTER: Hoornweg TE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10892434 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature