A Special Issue on Marek’s Disease Virus - The Editors’ View

Abstract

Marek’s disease virus (MDV), an Alphaherpesvirus belonging to the genus Mardivirus, causes T cell lymphomas in chickens and remains one of the greatest threats to poultry production worldwide. While losses caused by Marek’s disease have been reduced through live-attenuated vaccines, field strains have increased in virulence over recent decades. MDV research has led to a profound understanding of virus-induced pathogenesis and tumor development [1,2,3]. Our goal with this Microorganisms Special Issue on Marek’s disease virus was to collect manuscripts that would provide deeper insights into MDV infection, lytic replication, and latency in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we assembled reports that provide novel data on pathogenesis, immune system interactions, as well as state-of-the-art concepts to identify approaches to control MDV infections. We were happy to edit seven research articles, three short communications, and a review article on these diverse aspects of MDV infections.