WEST NILE VIRUSES WITH MUTATIONS IN THE 3' TERMINAL STEM AND LOOP SECONDARY STRUCTURE FOR USE AS LIVE VIRUS VACCINES

摘要

The invention provides West Nile (WN) viruses and chimeric WN viruses having one or more mutations in the 3′ terminal stem loop secondary structure (3′SL) that results in decreased neurovirulence, methods of making such WN viruses, and methods for using these WN viruses to prevent or treat WN virus infection.