Vet. Pathol. 27131-133 (1990) Acute and Fatal Herpesvirus Infection in a Young Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus)

Infections with herpesviruses may cause papillomatous le-sions in the as well as in the African elephant. * In both, the virus was reported to localize only in the skin. Disseminated nodules of epithelial cells were found in the lungs ofa high percentage ofwild African elephant^. ^ In these cases, the proliferated cells contained intranuclear inclusion bodies in which herpesvirus particles were observed by elec-tron microscopy. The virus, however, caused no illness, and there was no generalization. We report the necropsy findings of a juvenile Asian elephant dying peracutely from massive generalized hemorrhage due to lesions in the endothelial cells of the capillaries. The cell nuclei frequently contained inclu-sion bodies in which herpesvirus particles were demonstrat-ed. This has not been described in elephants before. A 920 kg, 3-year-old female Asian circus elephant showe