Abstract
The Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a causative agent of severe viral encephalitis in humans, has a biological cycle fluctuating between transmission in mosquitoes and avian species and amplification in pigs. Contact transmission of JEV was recently shown in pigs in the absence of arthropod vectors. Here, we show JEV transmission between infected and contact mice and further demonstrate that JEV transmission occurs between animals via aerosols, as both viral RNA and infectious JEV were detected in direct contact- and aerosol-exposed contact animals. The results of this study change our understanding of JEV transmission in densely populated regions and may help to explain JEV outbreaks without the presence of arthropod vectors.
Highlights
Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a zoonotic vector-borne viral disease, causing the encephalitis most frequently associated with fatal or severe outcomes in humans [1]
We examine the capabilities of two different genotypes of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), which differ in virulence, to transmit in mice via either contact or aerosol routes
The concept that mosquitoes are the sole contributors to JEV outbreaks and disease has been questioned recently because epidemiological and virologic data on outbreaks in non-tropical regions suggests that other factors play a role in the spread of the disease
Summary
Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a zoonotic vector-borne viral disease, causing the encephalitis most frequently associated with fatal or severe outcomes in humans [1]. It is currently present in Asia and Australia with 50,000–175,000 cases occurring annually [2,3]. Human cases generally occur in rural areas or at the edges of cities following heavy rains or monsoons [1].
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