West nile virus causes

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

Taxonomy

Viruses; ssRNA viruses; ssRNA positive-strand viruses, no DNA stage; Flaviviridae; Flavivirus; Japanese encephalitis virus group[1]

Biology

Digitally-colorized transmission electron micrograph (TEM) of the West Nile virus (WNV). Image provided by the CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [2]
Presence of West Nile virus virions, in an isolate that was grown in a cell culture. Image provided by the CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [3]

West Nile virus is a member of Japanese encephalitis serocomplex and belongs to the genus Flavivirus, family Flaviviridae. The virus has an icosahedral symmetry, with a smooth surface.[4] It is an enveloped virus with a nucleocapsid core built of RNA and capsid proteins. Its genome is contained in a single stranded mRNA virus of about 11000 bp.[5] It contains a single ORF, a 5' UTR, and a 3' region which is not translated. The ORF contains a single polyprotein, that after processed and translated produces 3 smaller types of structure proteins and 7 of non-strutural proteins.

  • Structure proteins are responsible for the formation of the viral particle and include:
  • Envelope proteins
  • Membrane proteins
  • C proteins
  • Non-structure proteins are responsible for viral replication, evasion of the immune system and assembly of virions, and include:
  • NS1
  • NS2A
  • NS2B
  • NS3
  • NS4A
  • NS4B
  • NS5

The West Nile Virus may be classified in 5 phylogenetic lineages. Of these, only 1 and 2 have been identified as causative agents of disease in humans.[6] Lineage 1 may be subclassified into 3 other lineages, which predominate in certain parts of the world:[7]

  • Lineage 1a - western hemisphere, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe
  • Lineage 1b - Kunjin virus from Australasia
  • Lineage 1c - virus in India

Tropism

Natural Reservoir

Natural reservoirs of the West Nile virus include:[8]

  • Humans
  • 65 different species of mosquitos
  • 326 species of birds




References

  1. "West Nile Virus".
  2. "http://phil.cdc.gov/phil/details.asp". External link in |title= (help)
  3. "http://phil.cdc.gov/phil/details.asp". External link in |title= (help)
  4. Mukhopadhyay, S. (2003). "Structure of West Nile Virus". Science. 302 (5643): 248–248. doi:10.1126/science.1089316. ISSN 0036-8075.
  5. Campbell, Grant L; Marfin, Anthony A; Lanciotti, Robert S; Gubler, Duane J (2002). "West Nile virus". The Lancet Infectious Diseases. 2 (9): 519–529. doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(02)00368-7. ISSN 1473-3099.
  6. "West Nile Virus" (PDF).
  7. Miller DL, Mauel MJ, Baldwin C, Burtle G, Ingram D, Hines ME; et al. (2003). "West Nile virus in farmed alligators". Emerg Infect Dis. 9 (7): 794–9. doi:10.3201/eid0907.030085. PMC 3023431. PMID 12890319.
  8. Petersen LR, Brault AC, Nasci RS (2013). "West Nile virus: review of the literature". JAMA. 310 (3): 308–15. doi:10.1001/jama.2013.8042. PMID 23860989.