elephant elephant type cause highly fatal disease transmitted young asian elephants african elephants related forms identified wild populations generally occasionally cause small types cause highly fatal disease asian elephants kills severely affected individuals disease treated rapid application drugs effective cases case fatal form disease documented tissue samples early 1980s tested positive virus localized skin wild african elephants recorded 1970s documented disease cases north_america europe successfully cured affected young animals born captivity small number older wild born adults held died number cases caused type identified orphan wild asian elephant populations virus transmission members genus novel clade closely related responsible deaths zoo wild asian elephants worldwide especially young currently known species types commonly encountered form numerous distinct strains originally known species type identified causes acute disease high mortality rate asian elephants form virus originally believed occur naturally african elephants occasionally producing skin transmitted asian elephants captivity extensive studies largely concept species types instead identified african elephants second lethal identified asian elephants responsible deaths asian elephant caused disease african elephants reported found wild zoo african elephants species types varieties elephant found eye healthy asian african zoo elephants called gamma closely related known cause disease symptoms studies detected shed trunk wash healthy asian zoo elephant previously disease similarly similar human animal trunk source transmission concerns origins evidence cross species transmission long term contact asian african elephants discouraged avoiding new contacts young captive born asian elephants wild born asian elephants carriers disease analysis number north american cases ruled direct transmission virus affected facilities studied strongly supported idea significant asian carrier population supported fact deceased possible contact african elephants artificial believed transmission factor notes multiple single bull cow elephant died different times facility nearly distinct strains virus died infected time facility pairs identical virus strains program linked testing began aiming test blood samples thousand elephants virus order help identify carriers possible transmission patterns effects treatment found wild captive african elephants affect skin system case produces small pinkish head trunk juveniles appear weeks suggesting intermittently reactivated localized infection remains dormant second case found small white adults characteristic fatal attack quickly number cases death occurred hours onset infection cases longer days virus attacks cells causing blood loss reaches heart kills quickly shock symptoms include eat rapid decreased blood cell count tongue mouth head trunk rapid treatment sustained month appeared cure infected treatment expensive partially effective relies early identification infection chain reaction test blood sample affected animals confirm suspected case identifying viral dna common start treatment earliest possible moment waiting confirmation case prior development test circumstances available disease number conditions quick onset leading rapid death including history virus identified african elephants far 1970s recognised fatal case asian elephant identified washington testing stored tissue samples able identify number earlier deaths virus cases far identified early date total cases north_america europe successfully treated deaths included calculation gives fatality rate known disease cases cases medication applied treatment effective cases cases fatal fraction overall population calculated asian elephants born captivity north_america known died successfully treated medication affected animals young asian elephants born captivity half cases north_america ages years quarters years old cases affected adult elephants born wild oldest aged years recorded cases affected african elephants documented fatal case african elephants month old male number cases attributed wild asian elephants suspected case asia fifth suspected case presence virus confirmed case reported death young wild born female elephant sanctuary virus identified group previously identified european captive populations lethal cases india extensively characterized found consist wide variety genetically diverged strains matching genetic range nearly found previously europe north_america cases attributed reported thailand confirmed evidence similar disease deaths asian countries including thailand india indonesia past years disease captive elephants possibly rampant asian elephants wild research noted required study situation regions wild asian elephant populations
Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus