Authors: Jones Luke M, Hawes Phillippa C, Salguero Francisco J, Castillo-Olivares Javier
Journal: Frontiers in veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary: African Horse Sickness Pathogenesis in a Mouse Model Understanding why African Horse Sickness (AHS) presents so variably in equids—from subclinical infection to 90% mortality in naive populations—has been hampered by the practical and safety constraints of studying this vector-borne virus directly in horses. Jones and colleagues addressed this knowledge gap by characterising the tissue lesions produced by AHSV serotype 4 in interferon-alpha receptor knockout mice (IFNAR-/-), a well-established small animal model that overcomes financial and biosafety limitations whilst preserving key immune mechanisms relevant to natural infection. Infection produced a disseminated pathology pattern including splenic and lymphoid necrosis, hepatic and cerebral inflammatory infiltration, and pneumonia, though viral antigen was localised specifically to the spleen and brain. These findings validate the IFNAR-/- mouse model for investigating viral-immune interactions in AHS and support its use in preclinical vaccine efficacy trials, potentially accelerating the development of protective strategies for equine populations at risk.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •This research supports the use of IFNAR-/- mice as a validated preclinical model for testing AHS vaccine candidates, reducing the need for costly and biosafety-complex studies in target equine species
- •Understanding that viral antigen localises primarily to spleen and brain may help inform future diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for AHS in horses
- •The multi-organ pathology observed (spleen, liver, brain, lungs) aligns with clinical AHS presentations and validates the model's relevance to natural equine disease
Key Findings
- •AHSV-4 infection in IFNAR-/- mice produced lesions in spleen, lymphoid tissues, liver, brain, and lungs with necrosis and inflammatory infiltration
- •Significant viral antigen staining was detected only in spleen and brain tissues despite multi-organ pathology
- •IFNAR-/- mouse model effectively reproduces immunobiological aspects of AHSV infection suitable for vaccine efficacy evaluation