A new study challenges the belief that herpes viruses are
relatively unstable outside their host.
Herpes viruses, such as EHV-1, have a lipid-containing
envelope surrounding the viral DNA. The envelope
is relatively sensitive to desiccation, heat and detergents. This makes these
viruses more susceptible to disinfectants than non-enveloped viruses.
Typically, they only survive for a limited time outside the host, and tend to
spread directly from one animal to another.
The research found that, equine herpesvirus remained stable
and infectious over a three-week period, under a variety of conditions. This
suggests that untreated water could be a source of infection by some
herpesviruses.
Read more at Equine Science Update
