What is Flavivirus?
Q: What is Flavivirus?
A: Flavivirus is a genus of the family Flaviviridae. It includes viruses such as West Nile virus, dengue fever virus, tick-borne encephalitis virus, yellow fever virus, and Zika virus.
Q: How do humans get infected with Flaviviruses?
A: Humans can become infected with Flaviviruses after being bitten by an infected mosquito or tick. They can also be exposed to the virus through contact with dead bodies of animals who had a Flavivirus, receiving a blood transfusion from someone who has a Flavivirus, having sex with someone who has a Flavivirus (this has been proven true for the Zika virus), drinking unpasteurized milk products, or if a fetus gets it from its mother during childbirth.
Q: What does "flavus" mean in Latin?
A: "Flavus" means "yellow" in Latin. This is why flaviviruses are named after the yellow fever virus.
Q: What do flaviviruses look like under an electron microscope?
A: Under an electron microscope, flaviviruses share a common size (40-65 nm) and symmetry (shape). They look similar to one another.
Q: Are flaviviruses contagious diseases?
A: Scientists believe that animals cannot spread flavoviruses directly to humans; instead they must first be bitten by an infected animal before it can spread the virus to humans by biting them. This suggests that flavoviruses are not contagious diseases; early tests with yellow fever showed that it was not contagious either.
Q: What type of RNA do flavoviruses have?
A: Flacoviruses are made of single-stranded RNA.
