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SEATTLE - A previously unknown elephant herpes virus killed the Woodland Park Zoo's youngest Asian elephant, zoo officials said Monday.
Six-year-old Hansa, who died last month, was one of 12 elephants fathered by a bull at a zoo in Missouri. Three of the others exhibited herpes symptoms in the past decade. Two of them died, while the third, Chandra, was successfully treated in 1997.
Bruce Bohmke, deputy director of the Woodland Park Zoo, said he was not sure if zoo officials knew about Chandra's herpes treatment before the meeting between the bull and Hansa's mother at the Dickerson Zoo in Springfield, Mo., that led to Hansa's conception.
Bohmke said it was irrelevant because Hansa died of a previously unknown version of the virus.
Previously, scientists had identified two other types of herpes virus in wild and captive African and Asian elephants. Hansa was initially tested for both, but because the virus that attacked her was genetically different from the two known viruses it could not be detected, Helmick said.
There have been 21 known cases of herpes viruses involving Asian elephants in North America. Only three have survived, Bohmke said.
Six-year-old Hansa, who died last month, was one of 12 elephants fathered by a bull at a zoo in Missouri. Three of the others exhibited herpes symptoms in the past decade. Two of them died, while the third, Chandra, was successfully treated in 1997.
Bruce Bohmke, deputy director of the Woodland Park Zoo, said he was not sure if zoo officials knew about Chandra's herpes treatment before the meeting between the bull and Hansa's mother at the Dickerson Zoo in Springfield, Mo., that led to Hansa's conception.
Bohmke said it was irrelevant because Hansa died of a previously unknown version of the virus.
Previously, scientists had identified two other types of herpes virus in wild and captive African and Asian elephants. Hansa was initially tested for both, but because the virus that attacked her was genetically different from the two known viruses it could not be detected, Helmick said.
There have been 21 known cases of herpes viruses involving Asian elephants in North America. Only three have survived, Bohmke said.
