Arboviruses

Arbovirus Definition
• One that multiplies in a blood
sucking arthropod and is
transmitted by the bite to a
vertebrate

• WHO Definition – Viruses which

are maintained in nature principally
through biological transmission
between susceptible vertebrate
hosts by haematophagous
arthropods

• Belong to five major families

• Grouped epidemiologically
Arbovirus- Classification
Family Genus

Togaviridae Alphavirus
Arterivirus
Pestivirus
Rubivirus
Flaviviridae Flavivirus
Bunyaviridae Bunyavirus
Phlebovirus
Uukuvirus
Nairovirus
Reoviridae Orbivirus
Rhabdoviridae Vesiculovirus
Lyssavirus
 Human pathogens in genus alphavirus
• Barmah forest
• Chikungunya
• Eastern encephalitis
• Mayoro
• Onyong yong
• Ross river
• Sindbis
• Venezuelan encephalitis
• Western encephalitis
 Mosquito borne flavivirus causing human
infections

• Dengue
• Japanese encephalitis
• Kunjin
• Murray valley
• St.Louis
• Sepik
• Usutu
• Banzi
• West Nile
• Yellow fever
 Tick borne flaviviruses

• Kyasanur forest disease

• Louping ill
• Omsk
• Powossan
• Eastern equine
Classification of Bunyavirus
Genus Serogroup/ Virus
Bunyavirus Bunyavera
California encephalitis
Hantavirus Hantaan virus
Nairovirus Crimean congo,Ganjam
Phlebotomus Phlebotomus
Rift valley fever
Uukuvirus Uukuniemi
Unassigned 50 viruses!
 Morphology of arboviruses
• Flavivirus- Lipid bilayer envelope
Spherical symmetry, ss RNA
E Ag in envelope,M Ag in matrix or membrane
C Ag in nucleocapsid.
5 to 12 nonstructural proteins
• Togaviridae- Enveloped
Icosohedral symmetry.ss RNA.
Group specific E1 Ag,Virus specific E2 Ag
Cross reactive c Ag
• Bunyaviridae- Lipid envelope,
helical symmetry, surface projections
Large,medium & small RNA.
Surface glycoprotein Ag G1,G2.Nucleoprotein Ag N
 Life cycle of arboviruses
• Maintained in nature by hosts
other than man (except
dengue,o’nyong nyong)

• Entry of virus by bite of

vector

• Multiplication in RE system

• Viremia of varying duration

• Viral seeding of target organs

 General clinical features of
Arbovirus Infections
• Most infections subclinical
• Mild fever
• Fever-Arthralgia Rash Syndrome
• Haemmorrhagic syndrome
• Haemmorrhagic fever with
hepatitis/nephritis
• Encephalitis
 Arboviral haemmorhagic fevers

• Characterised by thrombocytopenia,
petechiae and ecchymosis on skin and
mucous membrane with bleeding into
orifices.
Have a distinct epidemiological
distribution
 Arbovirus causing encephalitis
Virus/Disease Vector Reservoir
Australian En mosquito birds
California En mosquito Rodents,rabbits
Eastern equine En mosquito birds
Japanese En mosquito birds
Louping ill tick sheep
Powossan tick rodents
 Arbovirus Encephalitis(contd)
Virus/Disease Vector Reservoir
Russian spring summer En tick rodents
St.Louis En mosquito birds
Tick borne En tick mammals
Venezuelan equine En mosquito rodents
West Nile En mosquito birds
Western equine En mosquito birds
 Haemmorrhagic fevers
Virus Vector Reservoir
Chikungunya mosquito ? monkey
Crimean congo HF tick mammals
Dengue mosquito ?
KFD tick monkey
Omsk tick mammals
Yellow fever Mosquito monkey
 Lab diagnosis of Arboviral infections
• Virus isolation-Blood collected during acute viremic phase;
CSF from cases of encephalitis ; Brain biopsy tissue

• Virus inoculation-
Intracerebral inoculation of suckling mouse
Yolk sac or CAM of chick embryo
Primary cell lines eg.chick embryo fibroblast
Continuous cell line eg. Hela, Vero
Arthropod cells – Mosquito, tick tissue

• Typing of virus – No characteristic CPE

Confirmed by HI,CFT,IF,Neutralisation with antisera

• Serology – Rise in antibody titre in paired sera

HI,CFT,NT,ELISA or IgM demonstration
 Kyasanur forest disease
• Haemorrhagic disease
• Reservoir – Forest birds
• Vector-Haemophysalis spinigera
• Amplifier host- Monkeys
• Reported from Shimoga,Kutch,Sourashtra
• Clinical features-Fever,headache, conjunctivitis,
myalgia, prostration, h’ges into skin & mucosa
• Vaccine-Killed vaccine offering limited protection
• Diagnosis-Virus isolation diuring viremia(upto 10
days after infection) in suckling mouse
brain,Vero,BHK 21 cell lines
• Serodiagnosis-HI ,ELISA
 Yellow fever
• Prevalent in Africa,C& S America
• Transmitting agent – Aedes

• Epidemiology-
Urban cycle-Reservoir- Man
Forest cycle- Reservoirs- Monkeys
& mosquitoes

• Incubation Period –3 to 6 days

• Clinical Features –Flu like, jaundice

bleeding tendencies
Death due to hepatic & renal failure

• Inclusion bodies-Councilman &

Torries diagnostic
 Yellow fever
• Vaccine-
French neurotropic Dakar vaccine from
infected mouse brain
Chick embryo 17 D vaccine from Asibi
strain
• Yellow fever not seen in India
• Vaccination mandatory for travel to and
from endemic countries
• Indian vaccine manufactured in Kasauli
 Japanese encephalitis
• 1871-Recognised in Japan
• 1935-Virus isolated
• 1955-Reported in India ( TN & Pondy)
• Now occurs in 24 states & all union territories
• Transmitting vectors-Culex mosqiuto (C.vishnuii
& C. witmorrei)
• Other vectors-Anopheles & mansoni mosquitoes
• Maintained in environment by mosquitoes
(transovarian) and water birds like egrets and
herons
 Japanese encephalitis
• Amplifier host- Domestic pigs
• Enzootic cycles between pigs & mosquitoes
• Clinical features-Early symptoms are non
specific:Later onset of CNS symptoms
• Lab diagnosis-neutrophilia with CSF
abnormalities .Isolation of virus from CSF
• Serology –HI,plaque reduction neutralising Ab
test,IgM capture ELISA in CSF & serum
• Serum level of >100 units diagnostic
JE Epidemiology
 Prevention of JE
• Immunisation of amplifying host
• Vector control measures
• Vaccine-Mouse brain inactivated vaccine
using Nakayama strain
• Gives cross immunity to dengue& West Nile
• Vaccination of population at risk
• Divalent vaccine-Nakayama NH & Beijing I
strain
 JE - Vaccination
• Endemic areas-All children < 15 yrs
• Primary dose-2 doses of 1 ml(0.5 ml for children < 3 yrs) at
7-14 days interval
• Booster dose after 1 year
• During outbreaks another booster dose
• Vaccination recommended 1 month before anticipated
epidemic( S.India-Sept to Jan & N.India Feb to March)
• Non endemic areas vaccination recommended if vector
density is increased or there is rise in Ab titre of population
• Pig vaccine-Live attenuated tissue culture vaccine
 Dengue fever
• Prevalent in tropics and subtropics
• In India first isolated in 1945 in Calcutta
• Reported in all states except himalayan belt
• Serotypes 1,2,3, & 4
• Infection with one serotype confers long
lasting homologous immunity and short lived
heterologous immunity
• Vector-Aedes aegyptii & A.albopictus
• No extrahuman reservoirs
 Dengue fever
• Incubation period 5 to 6 days
• Viremia precedes clinical illness
• Mosquito infected by blood meal on a viremic
patient
• Vectors are day biters and breed in clean
domestic waters
• C.F-Subclinical infections common;
fever + rash,intense muscle and joint pain.
Bleeding tendencies +
• Complications –DHF ; DSS
Dengue immune response
 Dengue-Lab diagnosis
• Viral isolation-from acute phase serum in
infant mouse (within 2 days)
• Serology-HI,Nt,CFT,ELISA
• Rise in titre in paired serum or single high
IgM titre
• Cross reactivity seen with flaviviruses
• Prophylaxis-Eradication of vectors & proper
storage of water in domestic containers
Dengue epidemiology
Dengue epidemiology