Mechanisms of cell to cell spread of Marek's Disease Virus

Marek's disease is a fatal, highly contagious, neoplastic disease affecting chickens that is a significant economic burden threatening sustainable food production. It is caused by an alphaherpesvirus called Gallid herpesvirus-2 or Marek's Disease Virus (MDV). The disease is managed by tight biosecurity practices in industrial poultry forming and in ovo vaccination. Failure of the current vaccine strategy would threaten global poultry production.
MDV is strictly cell-associated and produces hardly any cell-free virions. The mechanisms of cell-to-cell spread are not understood. Here we aim to directly visualise cell-to-cell spread of MDV, identify receptors and host factors that are required for MDV transmission. We anticipate that this work will identify host factors that could be targeted to establish MDV-resistant livestock in the future.