Since 1995, there have been many well-documented cases of Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV) in the United States. In Asia the fight against the disease can be even more challenging. With the lack of access to sick or deceased animals in order to take timely, fresh samples for testing, and in some areas few to no testing laboratories, we still don’t fully know the prevalence of the disease in the 13 countries in which Asian elephants roam. But with the hard work of researchers and other partners in the field, we do know that it exists and it is causing the premature loss of young elephants across the continent – adding to the decline in population and the increased risk of extinction of Asian elephants.
Asian elephants from birth to age eight are at most risk for the disease with some juvenile African elephants up to age 13 years also getting sick and succumbing to the disease. Typically symptoms of the illness include lethargy and lack of appetite, discoloration of the mouth and swelling of the body, limbs and/or face due to internal hemorrhaging.In the majority of cases, EEHV proves fatal within a few days of the onset of symptoms (see our website for additional information and references).
AES Board Members recently attended the EEHV Global Symposium - an effort to bring researchers and caregivers from across the world together to share information about new findings and testing and treatments used to combat the effects of the virus. From that, we know there continues to be many impassioned people fighting to help elephants – working to understand the virus better, developing new technology to test for it and coming together as a world-wide community to help ill elephants by advancing effective treatments and working on a vaccine.
With the ongoing loss of young elephants in Asia due to EEHV as well as the tragedies striking zoological institutions here in the US, the Board of Asian Elephant Support recently came together to double-down on our commitment to care for and conserve Asian elephants by way of helping to find a solution to this disease. Over the next couple of months, we will be sharing more information about EEHV.
We are asking that anyone interested in helping us combat this virus join us for our annual California Pizza Kitchen fundraiser on Wednesday, April 27th. All funds raised from this event will go directly towards EEHV research and the testing and treatment of this disease for elephants in Asia. There are a number of ways you can help:
Dine in or take out food at any of the participating CPK locations on April 27th (see the current list below).
Become a HOST for a CPK restaurant near you to help share the word about the event to your community.
Look at the list of locations – if you don’t live near a participating CPK, but know someone who does – share this event with your friends and family!
Current participating locations* include:
CALIFORNIA
Los Angeles area – Burbank & Glendale locations
Sacramento
San Diego area – Carmel Mountain, Fashion Valley & Escondido locations
Santa Barbara
Ventura
COLORADO
Denver – Cherry Creek location
FLORIDA
Jacksonville
Orlando - Millenia Mall location
Tampa
MARYLAND
Baltimore - Hunt Valley location
MISSOURI
St. Louis area – Creve Coeur, Des Peres & Richmond Heights locations
TEXAS
Houston
VIRGINIA
Fairfax
Norfolk
Virginia Beach
WISCONSIN
Milwaukee – Glendale location
*New CPK locations will be soon. If you have a CPK near you that is not listed above, contact Liz@asianelephantsupport.org to become a HOST!