Henipaviruses, particularly the species Nipah (NiV) and Hendra (HeV), are emerging viral threats with potential to cause a public health emergency of international concern due to their high virulence and absence of approved preventative and therapeutical countermeasures. Consequently, research of NiV and HeV is restricted to high-containment laboratories and relies heavily on in vitro models. Despite NiV and HeV initial characterisation >25 years ago, significant gaps remain in the knowledge of the host-pathogen interactions, which are an important research focus for design of therapeutics and supportive care modalities. This review summarises current knowledge in the host-pathogen interactions of henipaviruses and critically assesses the current and emerging in vivo and in vitro models for henipavirus research.

Henipavirus

Nipah

Hendra

Pathogenesis

Host-pathogen interactions

Infection

Immunity

Model

© 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.