Flaviviruses proteases

Enzymes. 2025:58:251-278. doi: 10.1016/bs.enz.2025.07.004. Epub 2025 Sep 27.

Abstract

West Nile virus (WNV), Zika virus (ZIKV), and Dengue virus (DENV) are vector-borne diseases endemic in tropical and subtropical countries around the world. Their incidence has been growing in recent years and they are becoming increasingly relevant even in non-endemic areas, representing a significant public health problem worldwide. Globalization and climate change have led to drastic changes and radical transformations in the development of an ecosystem capable of sustaining the life cycle of viruses even in urban environments, where transmission occurs within an entirely susceptible population, leading to the rapid spread of infection, which can take on an explosive epidemic pattern. Increasing urbanization, population growth, and the continuous evolution of pathogens are additional factors associated with the increasing spread of vector-borne infectious diseases. Our focus is on these three vector-borne diseases, the diagnosis of which is often challenging because geographical and clinical overlap and serological cross reactions makes differential diagnosis very difficult.

Keywords: Congenital Zika syndrome; Dengue warning signs; Fever; Geographical distribution; Prevention; Vector-borne diseases; WNV neuroinvasive disease.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Dengue Virus / enzymology
  • Flavivirus* / enzymology
  • Humans
  • Peptide Hydrolases* / metabolism
  • West Nile Fever / diagnosis
  • West Nile virus / enzymology
  • Zika Virus / enzymology

Substances

  • Peptide Hydrolases