title: The contribution of rodent models to the pathological assessment of flaviviral infections of the central nervous system.
abstract: Members of the genus Flavivirus are responsible for a spectrum of important neurological syndromes in humans and animals. Rodent models have been used extensively to model flavivirus neurological disease, to discover host-pathogen interactions that influence disease outcome, and as surrogates to determine the efficacy and safety of vaccines and therapeutics. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of flavivirus neuroinvasive disease and outline the host, viral and experimental factors that influence the outcome and reliability of virus infection of small-animal models.
authors.affiliation: Center for Vectorborne Diseases and Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis 95616, USA. dcclark@ucdavis.edu
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Aaron C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Brault
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hunsperger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000821:virology*; D006224:Cricetinae; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018792:Encephalitis, Viral / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology; D005416:Flavivirus / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D018177:Flavivirus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000821:virology; D051379:Mice; D012377:Rodentia