The WNV genome is constituted by a single-stranded RNA molecule of positive polarity. This RNA molecule of about 11k nucleotides in length encodes a polyprotein in a single open reading frame that is flanked by two non-coding regions (NCRs) located at the 5’ and 3’ ends of the genome.

1. Structure of West Nile Virus
➢ The WNV genome is constituted by a single-stranded RNA
molecule of positive polarity.
➢ This RNA molecule of about 11k nucleotides in length
encodes a polyprotein in a single open reading frame that is
flanked by two non-coding regions (NCRs) located at the 5’
and 3’ ends of the genome.
➢ The polyprotein is proteolytically processed by viral and
cellular proteases rendering ten major viral proteins: three
structural (C, prM and E) and seven non-structural, NS (NS1,
2A, 2B, 3, 4A, 4B, 5).
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Fig.2 Representation of West Nile virus particle.
(Acebes, World J Virol, 2012)
Fig.3 A schematic diagram of the WENV genome.
(Suthar, Nat Rev Microbiol, 2013)