Epidemiological Analysis of Flavivirus Infections in Tamil Nadu with Specific Reference to Japanese Encephalitis, Dengue and West Nile Viruses. Development of a Novel Detection System.

The genus Flavivirus of the family Flaviviridae comprises over 70 viruses, many of which, such as the Dengue (DEN) virus, Japanese Encephalitis (JE) virus, West Nile virus (WNV), St. Louis Encephalitis (SLE) virus, and Yellow fever (YF) virus are important human pathogens. Flavivirus can be transmitted to humans via either a mosquito or tick vector. The flavivirus genera are of importance to the medical community because they have been found to be the causative agent of many endemic and epidemic illnesses across the world. Japanese Encephalitis virus (JEV) is the most important cause of viral encephalitis in Asia based on its frequency and severity. With the near eradication of poliomyelitis, JEV is now the leading cause of childhood viral neurological infection and disability in Asia.