Animal models for Chandipura virus (CHPV) research: a comprehensive review

Abstract Chandipura virus (CHPV), a neurotropic arbovirus belonging to the Rhabdoviridae family, is linked to recurring outbreaks of acute encephalitis disease in India, primarily affecting children and exhibiting significant mortality rates. Despite its considerable public health impact, specialised antiviral treatments and approved vaccines are lacking, highlighting the urgent need for experimental models to further pathogenesis and therapeutic research. This review thoroughly analyses the current animal models used in CHPV research, highlighting their significance in clarifying viral tropism, immunological responses, and disease mechanisms. Laboratory mice, especially neonates and juvenile animals with underdeveloped blood-brain barriers, have demonstrated optimal suitability, mirroring the age-dependent vulnerability and neuropathological characteristics observed in humans. Research employing murine models has elucidated the mechanisms of CHPV neuroinvasion, immune modulation, and oxidative stress–mediated neuronal injury, while also facilitating preclinical evaluation of recombinant vaccines, siRNA-based antivirals, and therapeutic agents such as minocycline and favipiravir. In contrast, other animal species, including domestic and laboratory animals, exhibit subclinical infection with seroconversion but no overt disease, limiting their experimental relevance. This review underscores the essential role of murine models in CHPV research, while emphasizing the necessity for improved, physiologically relevant systems to more accurately replicate natural infection dynamics and expedite vaccine and treatment development.