Flaviviridae is a family of viruses. Humans and other mammals serve as natural hosts. They are primarily spread through arthropod vectors (mainly ticks and mosquitoes). The family gets its name from the Yellow Fever virus, the type virus of Flaviviridae; flavus means yellow in Latin, and Yellow fever in turn was named because of its propensity to cause jaundice in victims. There are currently over 100 species in this family, divided among four genera. Diseases associated with this family include: hepaciviruses: hepatitis; pestiviruses: hemorrhagic syndromes, abortion, fatal mucosal disease; flavivirus: hemorrhagic fever, encephalitis, and the birth defect microcephaly.