West Nile Virus Induced Cell Death in the Central Nervous System

Overview

Journal Pathogens

Date 2019 Nov 6

PMID 31683807

Citations 21

Authors

Bi-Hung Peng

Tian Wang

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

West Nile virus (WNV), a mosquito-borne, single-stranded flavivirus, has caused annual outbreaks of viral encephalitis in the United States since 1999. The virus induces acute infection with a clinical spectrum ranging from a mild flu-like febrile symptom to more severe neuroinvasive conditions, including meningitis, encephalitis, acute flaccid paralysis, and death. Some WNV convalescent patients also developed long-term neurological sequelae. Neither the treatment of WNV infection nor an approved vaccine is currently available for humans. Neuronal death in the central nervous system (CNS) is a hallmark of WNV-induced meningitis and encephalitis. However, the underlying mechanisms of WNV-induced neuronal damage are not well understood. In this review, we discuss current findings from studies of WNV infection in the CNS resident cells and the animal models, and provide insights into WNV-induced neuropathogenesis.

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