West Nile virus and Powassan Virus are important members of the Flavivirus genus. While West Nile virus is now the leading cause of epidemic encephalitis in the United States and continues to spread globally, Powassan virus is emerging across the midwest and other regions of the United States, which cause lethal neuroinvasive disease in humans. West Nile virus is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. Powassan virus is transmitted to humans from a tick bite. Our experiments are designed to assess the virus and host interface that regulates the innate immune response and controls West Nile and Powassan virus pathogenesis, and will reveal novel targets for therapeutic development to suppress flavivirus infection.
This program is the synergistic collaboration between the Gale, other Flavivirus expert laboratories, and international partners, leveraging the expertise of each group.
The figure depicts the replication of the West Nile virus.
The Flavivirus life cycle
