Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) has become the principal cause of viral encephalitis in North America since its introduction in New York in 1999. This emerging virus is transmitted to humans via the bite of an infected mosquito. While there have been several candidates in clinical trials, there are no approved vaccines or WNV-specific therapies for the treatment of WNV disease in humans. From studies with small animal models and convalescent human patients, a great deal has been learned concerning the immune response to infection with WNV. Here, we provide an overview of a subset of that information regarding the humoral and antibody response generated during WNV infection.
Highlights
West Nile virus (WNV) is a neurotropic flavivirus that has seen an emergence into new geographical regions in the last decade
Using populations of infectious WNV representing the far ends of the maturation spectrum, E53 is relatively incapable of neutralizing mature WNV due to the cryptic nature of the domain II (DII)-FL epitope, but becomes more potent as the levels of uncleaved prM retained on the virus increase (Figure 3)
While the in vivo protective effects of DII fusion loop (DII-FL) specific antibodies were greatly inferior to Domain III (DIII)-LR specific antibodies, which resulted in survival of even the Fc-γ receptors (FcγR)/C1q deficient mice, this study highlights a mechanism by which poorly neutralizing antibodies may be protective in vivo
Summary
West Nile virus (WNV) is a neurotropic flavivirus that has seen an emergence into new geographical regions in the last decade. WNV has become the leading cause of mosquito-borne encephalitis in the USA [2]. WNV poses a risk to human health in North America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. A member of the Flaviviradae family, WNV is classified within the Japanese Encephalitis virus serocomplex. WNV exists in an enzootic cycle between mosquitos and birds, but humans and horses can become infected when bitten by an infected mosquito. While ~80% of infections are asymptomatic, WNV infection can cause a range of symptoms from a mild febrile disease to flaccid paralysis to lethal encephalitis. While the most severe symptoms generally manifest in the elderly and immunocompromised, healthy individuals can experience severe disease
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