A computational approach of antibiotics as novel drug target for Japanese encephalitis virus NS helicase/nucleoside triphosphatase

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is an arthropod-borne viral disease of global public health importance. The disease is prevalent in Southeast Asia and the Pacific.1 However, scientific evidence suggests that JE will soon become a global pathogen and cause of worldwide pandemics.2 JE causes the central nervous system (CNS) disease with irreversible neurological damage in humans.3 Annually 13,600 to 24,400 deaths due to acute JE infection are recorded. JE survivors with an annual report of 14,300 to 24,400 cases develop long-term neuropsychological sequelae.4 JE is caused by Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) which belongs to genus Flavivirus under family Flaviviridae. JEV is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected Culex species mosquitoes.5 However, there is no effective antiviral therapy and only a few highly effective vaccines are licensed for human use. The search for antiviral products becomes very important. Virtual screening has repeatedly proven to be useful to meet the special challenges of antiviral drug discovery.