ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the clinical disease, transmission, and pathogenesis of Henipavirus (HNV) in humans and experimental models. Infection of the respiratory tract can result in the development of severe respiratory symptoms as well as infection of other organs, including the central nervous system. Similar to the human case, all equine cases of Hendra (HeV) infection have been associated with a respiratory disease, neurological signs, and vascular disease, resulting in localized cerebral infarction. Similar to humans, HeV infection in horses can result in the development of severe respiratory distress and neurological disease. The emergence of new zoonotic viruses that target the human respiratory tract highlights the importance of the “one health” concept. While infection with HNV can result in both respiratory and neurological disease, current evidence suggests that the human respiratory tract is an important site of replication. In addition, the ability of HNV to efficiently infect the human respiratory epithelium suggests that these viruses have the potential for human-to-human transmission.
