Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus hemorrhagic disease (EEHV-HD) is a virulent disease that causes severe hemorrhage and sudden death in Asian elephant calves. A change in hematology profiles is one indicator of infection before clinical signs appear; however, to be effective, individual baselines and age-matched reference values are needed. Stress has been speculated to be a factor in clinical EEHV cases, but relationships have not been demonstrated empirically. This study evaluated blood hematology and several stress response markers—salivary cortisol, fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM), salivary Immunoglobulin A (SIgA), and fecal IgA (FIgA) in samples collected for 1 year from three healthy calves with no EEHV history (non-EEHV), and six that had previously been infected, developed clinical signs and survived (prior-EEHV). Hematology values between non-EEHV and prior-EEHV elephants were not different and within published reference ranges. Concentrations of salivary cortisol, FGM, SIgA, and FIgA also were variable and showed seasonal differences, but no relationships to prior EEHV status. One of the prior EEHV calves became re-infected, developed hemorrhagic disease (HD), and died during the study period. That calf exhibited lymphocytopenia, monocytopenia, and thrombocytopenia. Additionally, all stress biomarker concentrations were lower in the 12 days before viremia was observed. Thus, as in other studies, changes in hematology occur with EEHV infection, while preliminary data in one calf suggests that stress-response measures might also be informative and should be studied further.

Background: Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV)‐associated haemorrhagic disease (EEHV‐HD) is a leading cause of death in Asian elephant calves across the world. Cases of EEHV‐HD have been detected in free‐living calves through post‐mortem examination (PME) indicating the presence of the virus in the wild. In the absence of a non‐invasive sampling method, little research into free‐living populations has been possible. This study aimed to provide evidence that faeces can be used as a non‐invasive sampling method for the detection of EEHV excretion using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Methods: Serial saliva swabs and faecal samples were taken from five captive Asian elephants in Thailand over 12 weeks. To ensure the presence of detectable elephant DNA within the sample, qPCR was run for amplification of the Asian elephant tumour necrosis factor (TNF‐α) gene, EEHV1 and EEHV4. Results: Of 28 sample pairs, seven saliva samples were positive for EEHV, of which two had paired positive faecal samples. Conclusions: This study presents the first evidence that EEHV is excreted in faeces at detectable levels. This method may in future be used for improved understanding of the epidemiology of EEHV in free‐living elephant populations, as well as detection of EEHV excretion in captive herds.