Equine herpes virus more stable than previously thought

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