Equid Herpesvirus- 1 (EHV-1): A Comprehensive Review

Unmasking the Ongoing Challenge of Equid Herpesvirus- 1 (EHV-1): A Comprehensive Review
Microb Pathog. 2024 Jun 17:106755. doi: 10.1016/j.micpath.2024.106755. Online ahead of print.
Authors
Ahmed F Afify 1 , Rabab T Hassanien 1 , Rania F El Naggar 2 , Mohammed A Rohaim 3 , Muhammad Munir 4
Affiliations

1 Department of Virology, Animal Health Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Giza 12618, Egypt.
2 Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sadat City, Sadat 32897, Egypt.
3 Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza 12211, Egypt; Division of Biomedical and Life Science, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YG, UK.
4 Division of Biomedical and Life Science, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YG, UK. Electronic address: muhammad.munir@lancaster.ac.uk.

PMID: 38897362
DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2024.106755

Abstract

Equid herpesviruses (EHVs) are a group of highly impactful viral pathogens that affect horses, presenting a substantial risk to the global equine industry. Among these, equid herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) primarily causes respiratory infections. However, its ability to spread to distant organs can lead to severe consequences such as abortion and neurological diseases. These viruses can enter a dormant phase, with minimal activity, and later reactivate to trigger active infections at any time. Recently, there has been a notable rise in the prevalence of a particularly devastating strains of EHV-1 known as equid herpesviral myeloencephalopathy (EHM). In the light of dynamic nature of EHV-1, this review provides a thorough overview of EHV-1 and explores how advances in viral biology affect the pathophysiology of viral infection. The information presented here is crucial for understanding the dynamics of EHV-1 infections and creating practical plans to stop the virus’s global spread among equid populations.

Keywords: Abortion; Equid herpesviruses; Global spread; Myeloencephalopathy; Viral biology.

Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.