Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved cellular process in which intracellular 
components are eliminated via lysosomal degradation to supply nutrients for 
organelle biogenesis and metabolic homeostasis. Flavivirus infections underlie 
multiple human diseases and thus exert an immense burden on public health 
worldwide. Mounting evidence indicates that host autophagy is subverted to 
modulate the life cycles of flaviviruses, such as hepatitis C virus, dengue 
virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, West Nile virus and Zika virus. The diverse 
interplay between autophagy and flavivirus infection not only regulates viral 
growth in host cells but also counteracts host stress responses induced by viral 
infection. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the role of 
autophagy in the flavivirus life cycle. We also discuss the impacts of 
virus-induced autophagy on the pathogeneses of flavivirus-associated diseases 
and the potential use of autophagy as a therapeutic target for curing flavivirus 
infections and related human diseases.