title: Antiviral agents against equid alphaherpesviruses: Current status and perspectives.
abstract: Equid herpesvirus infections cause respiratory, neurological and reproductive syndromes. Despite preventive and control measures and the availability of vaccines and immunostimulants, herpesvirus infections still constitute a major threat to equine health and for the equine industry worldwide. Antiviral drugs, particularly nucleoside analogues and foscarnet, are successfully used for the treatment of human alphaherpesvirus infections. In equine medicine, the use of antiviral medications in alphaherpesvirus infections would decrease the excretion of virus and diminish the risk of contagion and the convalescent time in affected horses, and would also improve the clinical outcome of equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy. The combined use of antiviral compounds, along with vaccines, immune modulators, and effective preventive and control measures, might be beneficial in diminishing the negative impact of alphaherpesvirus infections in horses. The purpose of this review is to analyse the available information regarding the use of antiviral agents against alphaherpesviruses, with particular emphasis on equine alphaherpesvirus infections.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Virología, CICVyA, INTA, Las Cabañas y Los Reseros s/n, Castelar 1712, Argentina. Electronic address: vissani.aldana@inta.gob.ar.
authors.forename: María A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Vissani
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Virology and Animal Viral Diseases and UREAR, Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liege, B-4000 Liege, Belgium.
authors.forename: Etienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Thiry
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Virology and Animal Viral Diseases and UREAR, Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liege, B-4000 Liege, Belgium.
authors.forename: Fabiana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dal Pozzo
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Virología, CICVyA, INTA, Las Cabañas y Los Reseros s/n, Castelar 1712, Argentina; Carrera de Veterinaria, Universidad del Salvador, Champagnat 1599, Ruta Panamericana km 54.5 (B1630AHU), Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barrandeguy
mesh_terms: D018138:Alphaherpesvirinae; D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D004861:Herpesvirus 1, Equid; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents
keywords: Alphaherpesviruses; Antiviral agents; Equid herpesviruses; Equine herpesvirus diseases; Equine medicine