World first pilot study of new vaccine to fight elephant virus begins in UK and Irish zoos
A pilot study of a new vaccine that aims to educate the immune system of the Asian elephant to fight a deadly virus that is threatening the survival of the endangered species globally, has begun at Chester Zoo.
Early tests showed the jab – developed as a result of a long term collaboration led by scientists at the University of Surrey and Chester Zoo – stimulates an immune response after vaccination. Elephant care experts at Chester are now leading the first vaccine pilot study, supported by a host of other major conservation zoos in the UK and Ireland, including Dublin Zoo, Whipsnade Zoo, Blackpool Zoo and Woburn Safari Park.
