title: Equine gammaherpesviruses: perfect parasites?
abstract: The evolutionary success of the equine gammaherpesviruses (GHVs) is demonstrated by their consistent and widespread presence in horse populations worldwide. Equine GHVs establish infection in young foals and can be continually detected over the lifetime of the host either by recrudescence of latent infections or by re-infection. A definitive diagnosis of clinical disease in horses due to GHV infection remains challenging given the ubiquitous nature of the GHVs in horses without clinical signs, as well as in horses with clinical signs ranging from mild respiratory disease to severe equine multinodular pulmonary fibrosis. This review aims to examine what is known about equine GHV and explore the balance of the relationship that has evolved over millions of years between these viruses and their host.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Equine Infectious Disease, Department of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia. Electronic address: carolah@unimelb.edu.au.
authors.forename: Carol A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Hartley
authors.forename: Kemperly J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Dynon
authors.forename: Zelalem H
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Mekuria
authors.forename: Charles M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: El-Hage
authors.forename: Steven A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Holloway
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Gilkerson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018142:Gammaherpesvirinae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D006736:Horses; D010802:Phylogeny
keywords: EHV-2; EHV-5; Equine gammaherpesvirus