Diseases caused by flaviviruses

Flaviviruses are a genus of RNA viruses of the family Flaviviridae. They are all very similar in size, the nucleocapsid is icosahedral, they are covered by a lipoprotein envelope and are very similar under the microscope. They are spread mainly by arthropod vectors, such as mosquitoes and ticks.

Flaviviruses are the cause of a multitude of diseases in both animals and humans. It is estimated that they infect up to 400 million people each year, causing potentially fatal diseases such as Dengue, Zika or WNV. There are currently no vaccines available for many of these diseases, so their diagnosis is essential to limit their spread.