Open AccessWest Nile Virus : Understanding its Past, Present, and Future
Author(s) -
Yusuke Sayama,
Tetsuya Mizutani
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of disaster research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.332
H-Index - 18
eISSN - 1883-8030
pISSN - 1881-2473
DOI - 10.20965/jdr.2011.p0413
Subject(s) - west nile virus , flavivirus , outbreak , meningoencephalitis , virology , epidemiology , disease , biology , virus , medicine , pathology
The West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that causes significant morbidity and mortality in birds, horses, and humans. WNV-infection causes clinical symptoms such as WNV fever to fatal meningoencephalitis in humans. The emergence and spread of WNV from North America to South America during the last decade and the recent outbreaks of this disease in both humans and horses in Europe suggest that its epidemiology of infection is evolving. This review will present an overview ofWNV virology, vaccine development, and practical aspects of reducing risk of a possible WNV invasion in Japan.