Cyprinid herpesvirus 3: An interesting virus for applied and fundamental research

Abstract

The koi herpesvirus recently designated cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3) is an emerging agent that causes fatal disease in common and koi carp. Since its emergence in the late 1990s, this highly contagious pathogen has caused severe financial losses in koi and common carp culture industries worldwide. In addition to its economical importance, recent studies demonstrate that CyHV-3 is an interesting topic for fundamental research: for example CyHV-3 encodes the largest genome amongst the order Herpesvirales, and serves as an extreme model for mutagenesis of large DNA viruses. Studies of the CyHV-3 portal of entry in carp suggest that the skin of teleost fish represents an efficient portal of entry for viruses. They also highlight the role of fish epidermal mucus as an innate immune barrier against pathogen entry. In this manuscript, we summarize these advances in CyHV-3 fundamental research.