Houston Zoo Elephant Received First Ever mRNA EEHV Vaccine
On Jun. 18, 2024, the Houston Zoo announced that Tess, a 40-year-old Asian elephant at the Zoo, had been given the first-ever dose of an mRNA vaccine created by virologists at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) to prevent the deadly elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) 1A—a devastating viral disease in Asian elephants worldwide.
EEHV is the number one killer of Asian elephant calves living under managed care and poses a major threat to both Asian and African elephants in the wild. Led by Colossal Scientific Advisor, Dr. Paul Ling, this marked a historic milestone for endangered elephants everywhere.
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Source: Houston Zoo
Credit: Photo: Male Asian elephant calf, Kandula (as a calf), with mother, Shanthi, at Smithsonian’s National Zoo, courtesy Jessie Cohen, Smithsonian’s National Zoo.
