PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — The Oregon Zoo’s baby Asian elephant Tula-Tu has been diagnosed with elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus, and zookeepers are working on a treatment plan since “young calves are particularly susceptible” to the disease.
Active elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus – or EEHV – can be life-threatening in a few days. Another of Rose-Tu’s calves, Lily, died from the disease in 2018, shortly after her sixth birthday.
The zoo started elephant herpes treatments quickly, including plasma transfusions, to fight the virus. So far, they say Tula has remained stable with normal platelets and improving white cell counts, which is encouraging…