Flaviviruses

Short description

Flaviviruses are a group of RNA viruses that includes numerous human pathogens. Many of them are transmitted by mosquitoes or ticks.

Detailed description

Many flaviviruses are transmitted between hosts by blood-feeding mosquitoes or ticks acting as vectors. Infections may be asymptomatic or mild, but some flaviviruses can also cause severe illness.

Medically significant flaviviruses include the dengue, Zika, yellow fever, West Nile, and TBE viruses. They can cause a wide variety of clinical presentations, including dengue fever, yellow fever, inflammation of the brain and meninges.