Recombinant Nucleic-Acid Based Flavivirus Nucleic Acids for Development of Vaccines and/or Sero-diagnostics

CDC scientists have developed recombinant flavivirus nucleic acids for the generation of broad protective immunity against flaviviruses, as well as the development of sensitive serologic diagnostic tools. Mosquito borne viral encephalitis is often caused by a flavivirus, such as Japanese encephalitis virus, dengue virus or West Nile virus. Infection by these pathogens is often lethal to both humans and animals.

Specifically, these novel recombinant nucleic acids encode critical structural proteins of flaviviruses, such as yellow fever virus. The invention provides for a method of immunizing a subject against infection by a number of pathogenic flaviviruses. Furthermore, generated antigenic subviral particles can also serve as a tool for the development of specific, antibody detection-based flavivirus diagnostic assays.