A need to raise the bar - A systematic review of temporal trends in diagnostics for Japanese encephalitis virus infection, and perspectives for future research.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Japanese encephalitis virus infection (JE) remains a leading cause of neurological disease in Asia, mainly involving individuals living in remote areas with limited access to treatment centers and diagnostic facilities. Laboratory confirmation is fundamental for the justification and implementation of vaccination programs. We reviewed the literature on historical developments and current diagnostic capability worldwide, to identify knowledge gaps and instill urgency to address them. METHODS: Searches were performed in Web of Science and PubMed using the term 'Japanese encephalitis' up to 13th October 2019. Studies reporting laboratory-confirmed symptomatic JE cases in humans were ..