Japanese encephalitis virus

Identity

Preferred Scientific Name

• Japanese encephalitis virus

Other Scientific Names

• Japanese B encephalitis virus

International Common Names

• English: JE virus

English acronym

• JEV

Taxonomic Tree

• Domain: Virus
•     Group: "Positive sense ssRNA viruses"
•         Group: "RNA viruses"
•             Order: Nidovirales
•                 Family: Flaviviridae
•                     Genus: Flavivirus
•                         Species: Japanese encephalitis virus

Diseases Table

Distribution Table

The distribution in this summary table is based on all the information available. When several references are cited, they may give conflicting information on the status. Further details may be available for individual references in the Distribution Table Details section which can be selected by going to Generate Report.

Pathogen Characteristics

JEV is classified into the genus Flavivirus of the family Flaviviridae. The virus is spherical, about 40 nm in diameter and enveloped; it contains single-stranded ribonucleic acid (RNA) with icosahedral capsid. There are three structural and several non-structural proteins. The structural proteins are: envelope glycoprotein E (54 kDa), non-glycosylated envelope protein M (8 kDa), and capsid protein C (14 kDa). The oligonucleotide fingerprinting technique (Hori et al., 1986) reveals that mutations of JEV are present in strains that were isolated years apart in Japan and Thailand. JEV is unstable in the environment and easily inactivated by disinfectants. The virus is sensitive to ether, chloroform, and sodium desoxycholate, and also to proteolytic or lipolytic enzymes. It is readily inactivated at 56°C after 30 minutes and has an optimal pH stability of 8.5. JEV replicates well and produces a cytopathic effect in a wide range of host cell culture systems. Cells originating from mosquitoes are also susceptible. JE virus has been classified into four genotypes based on genome sequence and geographical distribution (Chen et al., 1990, 1992).

Disease(s) associated with this pathogen is/are on the list of diseases notifiable to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). The distribution section contains data from OIE's Handistatus database on disease occurrence. Please see the AHPC library for further information from OIE, including the International Animal Health Code and the Manual of Standards for Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines. Also see the website: www.oie.int.

Host Animals

Vectors and Intermediate Hosts

References

Chen WR; Rico-Hesse R; Tesh RB, 1992. A new genotype of Japanese encephalitis virus from Indonesia. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 47(1):61-69; 19 ref.

Chen WR; Tesh RB; Rico-Hesse R, 1990. Genetic variation of Japanese encephalitis virus in nature. Journal of General Virology, 71(12):2915-2922; 22 ref.

Hori H; Morita K; Igarashi A, 1986. Oligonucleotide fingerprint analysis on Japanese encephalitis virus strains isolated in Japan and Thailand. Acta Virologica, 30(5):353-359; 21 ref.

OIE Handistatus, 2002. World Animal Health Publication and Handistatus II (dataset for 2001). Paris, France: Office International des Epizooties.

OIE Handistatus, 2003. World Animal Health Publication and Handistatus II (dataset for 2002). Paris, France: Office International des Epizooties.

OIE Handistatus, 2004. World Animal Health Publication and Handistatus II (data set for 2003). Paris, France: Office International des Epizooties.

OIE Handistatus, 2005. World Animal Health Publication and Handistatus II (data set for 2004). Paris, France: Office International des Epizooties.

Distribution References

CABI Data Mining, 2001. CAB Abstracts Data Mining.,

OIE Handistatus, 2005. World Animal Health Publication and Handistatus II (dataset for 2004)., Paris, France: Office International des Epizooties.

Distribution Maps