Le virus de l’artérite virale équine : de l’épidémiologie moléculaire à l’émergence de variants pathogènes.

The research article overviews the equine arteritis virus (EAV), recognized as the cause for equine viral arteritis in equids (horses, donkeys, zebras), detailing its epidemiology, genomic variability, and the potential for emergence of virulent variants.

Overview of Equine Arteritis Virus (EAV)

• EAV is the main cause of equine viral arteritis, a disease specific to horses and similar species.
• The virus belongs to the family Arteriviridæ and the order Nidovirales, and it is characterised as an enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus.
• The genome of EAV shows substantial variation, as is common with most other RNA viruses.

Impact of EAV on Equids

• EAV can cause abortions and lead to persistent subclinical infections in stallions (male horses).
• Infected stallions may continue to shed the virus in their semen for years, or in some cases, throughout their lifetimes.
• Stallions that are chronically infected with EAV represent the natural virus reservoir.

Evolution of EAV and Emergence of Potentially Virulent Variants

• Chronically infected stallions facilitate the persistence and evolution of EAV, consequently leading to a potential emergence of new disease-causing variants.
• The genetic variability of EAV during persistent infection in a stallion is notably higher than that generated during epidemics.
• Recent studies have offered insights into the evolution and genetic variability of EAV.

Molecular Epidemiological Studies on EAV

• Progress in molecular biological techniques and the increased availability of sequences in databases have contributed to detailed molecular epidemiological studies on EAV.
• These studies have revealed specific molecular characteristics of EAV strains during and outside of epidemics.
• The new data is expected to facilitate better understanding and aid in determining the origin of new EAV outbreaks.