Control Measures for Arteriviruses

Arteriviruses represent a significant and growing concern in veterinary virology and animal health, impacting diverse livestock and experimental species globally. While Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) receives deserved attention as a cause of profound economic losses and complex epidemiological patterns in swine, an emerging body of evidence underscores the parallel significance of other arteriviruses—including equine arteritis virus (EAV), simian hemorrhagic fever virus (SHFV), and lactate dehydrogenase–elevating virus (LDV)—in their respective hosts. These viruses share features such as persistent infection, high genetic variability, and frequent subclinical or chronic outcomes, complicating early detection, biosecurity, and long-term control. Recent outbreaks, continuing genetic diversification, and sporadic zoonotic concerns highlight continuous gaps in prevention and management, especially as diagnostic and control infrastructures vary markedly across regions and species.Despite growing molecular insight and some progress in intervention design, traditional tools—including inactivated vaccines, live attenuated vaccines, and generalized biosecurity measures—often provide only incomplete or temporary solutions. For PRRSV, a growing arsenal of antivirals, nucleic acid–based vaccines, and management protocols are entering laboratory and limited field use, but similar advances for EAV, SHFV, and LDV are considerably less mature. Newer strategies, such as host genetic selection, DIVA (Differentiating Infected from Vaccinated Animals) vaccine platforms, and precision epidemiological modeling, remain underutilized or unvalidated for many arteriviruses. The persistent circulation of highly variable arteriviruses in naïve, vaccinated, or co-infected populations, and the limited real-world performance data for novel interventions, significantly hamper the establishment of harmonized and sustainable control approaches across contexts.This Research Topic aims to centralize PRRSV as a model while integrating current and comparative perspectives on EAV, SHFV, LDV, and other arteriviruses, to accelerate the development, evaluation, and refinement of control measures across the host spectrum. The main objectives are to support the design and critical assessment of new vaccines, antiviral agents, and integrated management programs; to clarify the determinants of intervention success across ecologically and epidemiologically distinct settings; and to identify transferable strategies and pitfalls by leveraging comparative arterivirus biology. This Research Topic will particularly emphasize cross-disciplinary integration—drawing on epidemiology, immunology, viral evolution, and disease modeling—to lay a foundation for robust and adaptable management.The Research Topic encompasses the development and evaluation of control interventions (vaccine and antiviral, but not non-pharmacological drugs) for PRRSV and other arteriviruses in domesticated, captive, and wild animal populations. Comparative, cross-disciplinary, and translational studies are encouraged. We welcome submissions on, but not limited to, the following themes:- Development, efficacy, and deployment of new antivirals and biologics across the Arteriviridae family (including PRRSV, EAV, SHFV, LDV)- Comparative vaccine innovation: platforms, cross-protection, DIVA diagnostics, and strategies for persistent or highly variable viruses- Epidemiological investigation of intervention effectiveness for EAV, SHFV, and LDV, as well as PRRSV, in real-world and experimental settings- Mechanisms of immune escape, antiviral/vaccine resistance, and implications for viral evolution in varied hosts- Integrated control strategies: biosecurity, surveillance, herd management, and their impacts on arterivirus transmission/disease- Metrics and harmonized methodologies for evaluating integrated control across species and systemsTranslational and comparative approaches: lessons learned from PRRSV control applied to other arteriviruses, and vice versa- Case studies from under-represented host species, production environments, or geographical regions Topic editors: François JMA Meurens, Yashavanth Shaan Lakshmanappa Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/77838/control-measures-for-arteriviruses