Platforms to Evaluate Flavivirus-Induced Immunoinflammatory Responses and Their Pathogenesis.

Abstract

Mosquito-borne diseases induced by viruses belonging to the Flavivirus genus such as Dengue, Zika, and Yellow fever have proven to cause widespread outbreaks over time. These viruses are prevalent mainly in tropical and subtropical regions and it is estimated that more than 100 countries are affected by one or more of these pathogens. The diseases may have mild clinical manifestations in common, such as fever, joint pain, headaches, and diarrhea; however, they can progress to serious reactions and, sometimes, trigger significant neurological malformations and post-infection sequelae, as in infection with Zika virus. To better understand their pathogenicity and tackle pharmacological development, animal and cell culture models have been developed. In the current chapter, we present in vivo platforms to study flavivirus-induced diseases, which allow us to mimic human infection to investigate clinical parameters, inflammatory, and viral mechanisms.