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Tess, the beloved 40-year-old matriarch of the Houston Zoo’s elephant herd, is recovering well after receiving the first-ever elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) 1A mRNA vaccine on Tuesday, June 18 . Houston Zoo veterinary staff will monitor Tess in the coming weeks to check her reaction and the effectiveness of the vaccine.

EEHV 1A is a fatal infection for Asian elephants. Although generally mild in African elephants, Asian elephants can develop life-threatening hemorrhages. The mortality rate is as high as 80 percent, making it one of the most serious threats to elephant populations, aside from humans.

Antiviral drugs have some effect on the disease, but two-thirds show no improvement. This led to the search for a vaccine. For 15 years, the Houston Zoo and Dr. Paul Ling of the Department of Virology and Microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine have partnered to develop the drug. They were aided by global research from zoos and animal specialists, as well as graduate student Jessica Watts and Dr. Jeroen Pollet from Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. The research was funded by private donations, research partnerships and grants.

Before being inoculated, the mRNA vaccine was extensively tested, with the dosage extrapolated from data involving horses.

Houston Zoo veterinarians will test Tess periodically to see if she develops the appropriate antibodies. If so and there are no adverse effects, the next step will be to administer the vaccine to the rest of the Houston herd. Many of them are Tess’s own children (Tucker, Tupelo, Tilly and Teddy) and grandchildren (Winnie).

If the vaccine proves effective, doses will be made available to zoos and private elephant sanctuaries around the world. This is likely to have a significant benefit in protecting and preserving the Asian elephant population. As of January, there were fewer than 50,000 animals left in the wild. They are currently listed as endangered, and the breeding programs and research conducted by the Houston Zoo are essential to preventing the animals from disappearing.