Viral Pathogens
A section of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817).
Section Information

Viruses infect all forms of life, including humans, animals, plants, bacteria, and archaea. Viral infections in humans can cause mild to severe and sometimes fatal diseases, such as the common cold, flu, chickenpox, cold sores, rabies, Ebola, HIV/AIDS, SARS, and certain cancers. They have also been the cause of pandemics with significant death tolls on a global scale, such as the 1918 Spanish flu and COVID-19. Animals often serve as natural reservoirs (hosts) or intermediate hosts for viruses that cross species barriers to infect humans (viral zoonoses); therefore, viral infections in animals such as livestock, companion animals, and fish have major impacts on animal and human health, economics, food safety, and ecology. Plant viruses are responsible for more than half of the emerging infectious diseases in plants and cause significant economic losses in crop yields worldwide. To combat this, bacteriophages, a common and diverse group of viruses infecting bacteria and the most abundant biological entity in aquatic environments, have been explored as novel therapeutics. The discovery and research of viral pathogens are essential for developing diagnostics and methods of prevention and treatment of various viral diseases.
The section “Viral Pathogens” welcomes the contribution of original research and review papers covering all aspects of viral pathogens and host–virus interactions.
Keywords
- viral biology (virology)
- viral diagnostics
- viral discovery
- viral evolution
- viral epidemiology
- viral infection models
- viral virulence
- viral pathogenesis
- viral oncogenesis
- viral transmission
- viral genomics/transcriptomics/proteomics/bioinformatics
- virus–host interactions
- Immune responses to viruses
- vaccines
- antivirals
- antiviral therapeutics
- emerging viruses
- oncogenic viruses
Editorial Board
Topical Advisory Panel
Special Issues
Following special issues within this section are currently open for submissions:
- New Insights into HTLV-1-Related Inflammatory Diseases (Deadline: 15 May 2026)
- Advances in Virus-Host Interactions, Viral Pathogenicity and Antiviral Drug Development (Deadline: 20 May 2026)
- Current Challenges in Veterinary Virology (Deadline: 30 May 2026)
- Airborne Transmission of Pathogens (Deadline: 30 May 2026)
- New Insights into Viral Infections of Domestic Animals (Deadline: 30 May 2026)
- Current Research on Influenza Viruses: Evolution, Immunity, and Countermeasures (Deadline: 31 May 2026)
- Surveillance and Molecular Epidemiology of Viral Encephalitis Pathogens (Deadline: 31 May 2026)
- Structural Biology for Virus Research (Deadline: 31 May 2026)
- Molecular Epidemiology, Pathogenesis and Diagnosis of Animal Viral Diseases (Deadline: 15 June 2026)
- Arboviruses Worldwide: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, and Global Health Challenges (Deadline: 20 June 2026)
- Viral Infections in Immunocompromised Patients (Deadline: 30 June 2026)
- Emerging Arboviruses and Novel Viral Threats: Detection, Surveillance, and Mitigation Strategies (Deadline: 30 June 2026)
- Understanding HIV Pathogenesis and Targeting for the Prevention and Cure (Deadline: 30 June 2026)
- Advanced Research on Human Viral Coinfections (Deadline: 30 June 2026)
- Enteroviruses: From Host Interactions to Molecular Epidemiology and Clinical Impacts (Deadline: 30 June 2026)
- Viral and Host Dynamics of HIV Persistence (Deadline: 1 July 2026)
- Viral Hepatitis Among Specific Populations: Epidemiology, Transmission, Treatment, and Prevention (Deadline: 15 July 2026)
- Understanding Emerging and Re-Emerging Viral Infections (Deadline: 15 July 2026)
- Emerging Trends in Arbovirus Research: Diagnosis, Transmission, and Therapeutic Development (Deadline: 20 July 2026)
- Epidemiology of Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Potential Public Health Impact of Vaccination (Deadline: 30 July 2026)
- Current Advances in Pathogen Diagnosis and Discovery Methods (Deadline: 30 July 2026)
- Advances in Molecular Characterization and Epidemiology of Plant Viruses (Deadline: 31 July 2026)
- Structure-Based Antiviral Drug Discovery (Deadline: 31 July 2026)
- Emerging/Re-Emerging Viruses and Antiviral Drug Design (Deadline: 31 July 2026)
- Viral Oncology and Targeted Therapies for Virus-Associated Cancers (Deadline: 31 July 2026)
- Immune Pathways and Mechanisms Involved in Viral Infections (Deadline: 10 August 2026)
- One Health—Viral Zoonosis: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, Surveillance and Early Warning, Novel Prevention and Control Technologies (Deadline: 30 August 2026)
- Viral Infections and Their Effects on the Central Nervous System (CNS), 2nd Edition (Deadline: 30 August 2026)
- Human Cytomegalovirus: From Molecular Pathogenesis to Therapeutic Innovations (Deadline: 31 August 2026)
- From Acute Infection to Chronic Sequelae: A Research Trajectory in Viral Infections Disease Management (Deadline: 31 August 2026)
- HIV Reservoir Dynamics and Latency Mechanisms Under Current and Emerging Antiviral Strategies (Deadline: 31 August 2026)
- The Epidemiology, Control, and Global Impact of African Swine Fever and Other Transboundary Swine Diseases (Deadline: 31 August 2026)
- Pathogenesis, Epidemiology, and Control of Animal Influenza Viruses—2nd Edition (Deadline: 31 August 2026)
- The Interplay of Microbiota and Polyomaviruses in Human Health and Disease (Deadline: 31 August 2026)
- Viral Infection and Antiviral Drug (Deadline: 10 September 2026)
- Epidemiology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics of High-Risk Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infections (Deadline: 10 September 2026)
- Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Management of HIV–Hepatitis Virus Coinfections (Deadline: 15 September 2026)
- Emerging and Re-Emerging Avian Influenza Viruses in Wildlife (Deadline: 20 September 2026)
- Viral Evolution and Immune Evasion: Mechanistic Insights and Clinical Implications (Deadline: 30 September 2026)
- Pediatric Viral Infections: Epidemiology, Treatment, and Emerging Challenges (Deadline: 30 September 2026)
- Viral Infections, Chronic Inflammation and Carcinogenesis (Deadline: 30 September 2026)
- Encephalomyocarditis—Latest Insights (Deadline: 30 September 2026)
- From Gastroenteritis to Emerging Threats: One Health Surveillance of Viral Infections (Deadline: 30 September 2026)
- Plant–Virus Interactions: From Molecular Mechanisms to Crop Protection (Deadline: 30 September 2026)
- Human Endogenous Retroviruses: Epigenetic and Immune Modulators in Health and Disease (Deadline: 1 October 2026)
- Detection, Transmission, and Diagnosis of Animal Viruses: A One Health Approach (Deadline: 15 October 2026)
- Animal Papillomaviruses in the Omics Era: Pathogenesis, Evolution and Control (Deadline: 25 October 2026)
- Dengue Virus: Transmission, Pathogenesis, Diagnostics, and Vaccines (Deadline: 30 October 2026)
- Hepatitis E: Virus, Disease and Vaccine (Deadline: 31 October 2026)
- Pseudovirus-Based Strategies for Understanding and Controlling Viral Infections (Deadline: 31 October 2026)
- Advances in Virology of Aquatic Animal Viruses (Deadline: 31 October 2026)
- Bluetongue and Other Orbiviruses (Deadline: 2 November 2026)
- Cutting-Edge Research on HTLV and Related Viruses (Deadline: 15 November 2026)
- The Role of Viral Infection in Sarcoma (Deadline: 20 November 2026)
- Advances in the Identification of Structural Viral Epitopes for Pan-Vaccine Design (Deadline: 30 November 2026)
- Tumorigenic Viruses in Equine and Other Livestock Species: Mechanisms, Epidemiology, and Control (Deadline: 30 November 2026)
- Avian Influenza and Pandemic Risks (Deadline: 30 November 2026)
- Recent Advances in Human Papillomavirus Research (Deadline: 30 November 2026)
- Targeting Arboviruses: From Drug Discovery to Therapeutic Innovation (Deadline: 30 November 2026)
- Feature Papers in Viral Pathogens (Deadline: 10 December 2026)
- Human Papillomavirus Infection and Its Role in Carcinogenesis (Deadline: 10 December 2026)
- Oncogenic Viruses: Advances in Molecular Diagnosis, Prevention Strategies and Therapy—2nd Edition (Deadline: 15 December 2026)
- Emerging and Zoonotic Viruses at the Human–Animal–Environment Interface: From Spillover to Pandemic Preparedness (Deadline: 15 December 2026)
- Neglected Infectious Diseases of Swine (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the Isolation of Human Cytomegalovirus: Where Are We Now and What Are the Future Challenges (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Prophylaxis, Diagnosis and Therapy of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Infection (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- SARS-CoV-2 Evolution, Co-Infection, and Latent Virus Reactivation (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Global Perspectives on HIV Pathogenesis and Prevention (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Emerging Artiodactyl Coronaviruses: Pathogenesis, Host Factors, and Countermeasures (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Reflecting on 105 Years of African Swine Fever Virus Research and Forging the Future (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Extracellular Vesicles in Viral Pathogenesis and Host–Pathogen Communication (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Molecular Mechanisms of Viral Infection: From Entry to Immune Evasion (Deadline: 27 March 2027)
Topical Collections
Following topical collections within this section are currently open for submissions: