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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Endemic Poultry Viral Diseases Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #382845
Research Project: Genetic and Biological Determinants of Avian Herpesviruses Pathogenicity, Transmission, and Evolution to Inform the Development of Effective Control Strategies

Location: Endemic Poultry Viral Diseases Research

Title: Family Herpesviridae

Author
item DAVISON, ANDREW - University Of Glasgow
item DEPLEDGE, DANIEL - New York University School Of Medicine
item TRIMPERT, JAKOB - Freie University
item STEWART, JAMES - University Of Liverpool
item Spatz, Stephen
item SCHMID, SCOTT - Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) - United States
item HARTLEY, CAROL - University Of Melbourne
item SZPARA, MORIAH - Pennsylvania State University
item JAROSINSKI, KEITH - University Of Illinois
item VAZ, PAOLA - Pennsylvania State University

Submitted to: Journal of General Virology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/14/2021
Publication Date: 10/27/2021
Citation: Davison, A.J., Depledge, D.P., Trimpert, J., Stewart, J.P., Spatz, S.J., Schmid, S., Hartley, C.A., Szpara, M.L., Jarosinski, K.W., Vaz, P.K. 2021. Family Herpesviridae. Journal of General Virology. https://doi.org/10.1099/jgv.0.001673.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1099/jgv.0.001673

Interpretive Summary: Herpes viruses are microscopic structures consisting of symmetrical and non-symmetrical components. These viruses contain double-stranded DNA that are125,000–241,000 nucleotides in length. This DNA encodes 70-170 genes . The viruses have generally evolved with their hosts and are highly adapted to them, and are likely to be represented in most animal species. Following primary infection, they are capable of establishing life-long persistent or latent infection. Severe disease is usually observed only in the fetal or very young and the immunocompromised individual. It is also possible to get infected by a herpesvirus whose host is a different species.

Technical Abstract: Members of the family Herpesviridae have enveloped, spherical virions with characteristic complex structures consisting of symmetrical and non-symmetrical components. The linear, double-stranded DNA genomes are 125–241 kbp in size and contain approximately 70-170 genes encoding functional proteins, of which 43 are detectably inherited from an ancestral herpesvirus. The viruses have generally evolved with their hosts and are highly adapted to them, and are likely to be represented in most mammalian, avian and reptilian species. Following primary infection, they are capable of establishing life-long latent infection, during which there is limited viral gene expression. Severe disease is usually observed only in the foetus or very young, the immunocompromised or following infection of an alternative host.