Japanese encephalitis virus(JEV), a member of the family Flaviviridae, has been a serious health problem in Asia for centuries, but due to mosquito control and massive vaccination program, the incidence of JEV case has dramatically reduced in
these
countries. Although the currently used JEV vaccine, which is formalin-inactivated virus prepared from infected mouse brains, is considered to be effective and relatively safe, high production cost and possible allergic reactions remain as major
concerns
of this vaccine. Recent progress in recombinant DNA technology, cell culture and immunological methods have brought great changes in the ways to approach new vaccine development. This review deals with the general features of JEV and currently
available
vaccines, and discusses the strategies being used to develop new generation JEV vaccines.
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