The molecular epidemiology of Murray Valley encephalitis virus in Australasia

Of the viruses transmitted by mosquitoes in the Australasian region, Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) virus is the major cause of brain disease in humans. There is no vaccine to prevent MVE, nor are there effective antiviral drugs available to treat infections. Therefore, surveillance of MVE is essential to control efforts. A key element to this is understanding the virus at a genetic level, which allows the tracking and identification of known or novel genetic types and can tell us about their circulation patterns.