Flavivirus encephalitis: pathological aspects of mouse and other animal models.
Encephalitic flaviviruses are important arthropod-borne pathogens of humans and other animals. In particular, the recent emergence of the West Nile virus (WNV) and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) in new geographic areas has caused a considerable public health alert and international concern. Among the experimental in vivo models of WNV and JEV infection, mice and other laboratory rodents are the most thoroughly studied and well-characterized systems, having provided data that are important for understanding the infectious process in humans. Macaca monkeys have also been used as a model for WNV and JEV infection, mainly for the evaluation of vaccine efficacy, although a limited number of published studies have addressed pathomorphology. These animal models demonstrate the development of encephalitis with many similarities to the human disease; however, the histological events that occur during infection, especially in peripheral tissues, have not been fully characterized.
Kimura
T
T
Department of Molecular Pathobiology, Hokkaido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, West 10 North 20, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020 Japan. kimura@czc.hokudai.ac.jp
Sasaki
M
M
Okumura
M
M
Kim
E
E
Sawa
H
H
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004664:Encephalitis Virus, Japanese / Q000276:immunology*; D004672:Encephalitis, Japanese / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D014901:West Nile Fever / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D014902:West Nile virus / Q000276:immunology*