Japanese Encephalitis Virus: An Update on the Potential Antivirals and Vaccines

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Infectious Diseases
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) causes Japanese encephalitis (JE), a significant public health concern in the Asia-Pacific region with global spread potential.
• JE infection leads to severe brain inflammation, high morbidity, and mortality, necessitating urgent therapeutic interventions.
• Current treatment for JE is limited to supportive care, with no licensed antiviral drugs available for acute-phase treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the current landscape of antiviral drug development against JEV.
• To evaluate the effectiveness and limitations of existing JE vaccines.
• To summarize JEV epidemiology, pathogenesis, and identify potential drug targets for novel antiviral therapies.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of JEV antivirals and vaccines.
• Analysis of JEV epidemiology, viral structure, and pathogenesis.
• Identification and summary of potential molecular targets for drug development.

Main Results:

• No licensed antiviral drugs are currently available for JEV infection.
• Existing JE vaccines have limitations including high cost and side effects, restricting global use.
• Significant efforts are underway to identify JEV drug targets, but a suitable antiviral treatment is still lacking.

Conclusions:

• There is an urgent unmet need for effective antiviral drugs to treat acute JEV infections, given the high annual case numbers.
• Further research into JEV's molecular targets is crucial for developing new anti-JEV drugs.
• A comprehensive approach combining antiviral development and improved vaccine strategies is needed to combat JEV globally.