A Review of Pseudorabies Virus Variants: Genomics, Vaccination, Transmission, and Zoonotic Potential

Pseudorabies virus (PRV), the causative agent of Aujeszky’s disease, has a broad host range including most mammals and avian species. In 2011, a PRV variant emerged in many Bartha K61-vaccinated pig herds in China and has attracted more and more attention due to its serious threat to domestic and wild animals, and even human beings. The PRV variant has been spreading in China for more than 10 years, and considerable research progresses about its molecular biology, pathogenesis, transmission, and host–virus interactions have been made. This review is mainly organized into four sections including outbreak and genomic evolution characteristics of PRV variants, progresses of PRV variant vaccine development, the pathogenicity and transmission of PRV variants among different species of animals, and the zoonotic potential of PRV variants. Considering PRV has caused a huge economic loss of animals and is a potential threat to public health, it is necessary to extensively explore the mechanisms involved in its replication, pathogenesis, and transmission in order to ultimately eradicate it in China.