Global impact of flaviviruses

The Global Impact of Flaviviruses

Transmission routes, latent stages of infection, and severity of infection all vary between the flaviviruses. However, as a whole, infections from viruses belonging to the flavivirus genus have recently been escalating. The rise in infections may simply be the result of improved surveillance in areas previously overlooked, but also may be the result of novel symptoms as has been the case with Zika virus. The evolutionary constraints the human host places on flavivirus transmission (spraying to reduce mosquito/tick abundance, education on intravenous drug use, safe sex practices, etc.) can be bypassed by the virus’s error-prone RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). For example, the HCV RdRp has been shown to be highly dynamic based on treatment regimens that allow the virus to modulate its’ replication to develop drug-resistance (Neumann AU, et al., 1998). While our knowledge on individual flaviviruses has expanded greatly in the last two decades (Figure 4) leading to the development of novel therapeutics and vaccines, fervent proactive research must continue in order to ensure continued advancement of global public health.