Two elephants died last week following infection due to Herpes virus in Gadchiroli forests in Maharashtra.
"Elephant endotheliotropic herpesviruses (EEHV) or Elephantid betaherpesvirus 1 (ElHV-1) is a type of herpesvirus, which can cause a highly fatal hemorrhagic disease when transmitted to young Asian elephants."
Most elephants carry just as most humans carry a cold virus. When EEHV is triggered, the elephant dies of massive internal bleeding and symptoms which are hardly visible,” said experts.
The virus is believed to be transmitted from one elephant to the other through trunk secretions and saliva. Some types of EEHV can result in a highly fatal disease in Asian elephants, which kills up to 80% of severely affected individuals.
The developement comes as Maharashtra struggles with the COVID-19 pandemic with the cumulative cases reaching to 63,53,327 on Sunday.
Maharashtra reported 5,508 coronavirus positive cases and 151 fatalities, taking the toll to 1,33,996, the state health department said.
A total of 4,895 patients were discharged during the day, raising the number of recoveries to 61,44,388 so far in Maharashtra, leaving the state with 71,510 active cases, it said.
Maharashtra's case recovery rate now stands at 96.71 per cent and the fatality rate is 2.1 per cent.
Mumbai city reported 305 cases and nine deaths on Sunday, taking the count to 7,37,497 and the death toll to 15,951.
With 1,96,307 new tests, the total number of samples tested so far in Maharashtra rose to 4,95,68,519, the health department said in a statement.
Mumbai division reported 802 fresh cases and 25 fatalities, taking the number of infections to 16,47,692 and the toll to 34,497.
Nashik division reported 867 cases including 745 in Ahmednagar. Pune division saw 2,194 infections including 614 in Satara, 597 in Solapur, 542 in Pune district, the department said.
Kolhapur division added 1,267 cases including 473 in the Sangli district and 385 in the Kolhapur district. Aurangabad division reported 37 cases, Latur division 299, Akola division 22, and Nagpur division 20.
The COVID-19 tally in Maharashtra is as follows: Positive cases 63,53,328, deaths 1,33,996, recoveries 61,44,388, active cases 71,510, total tests 4,95,68,519, tests today 1,96,307.
