Molecular Epidemiology and Host-Pathogen Interactions in Infectious Diseases

Dear Colleagues,

Infectious diseases are caused by a phylogenetically diverse array of pathogenic organisms, including protozoan and helminth parasites, fungi, viruses, and bacteria, each employing distinct molecular and cellular strategies to infect the host. These pathogens have undergone extensive evolutionary adaptation over time, enabling them to invade host tissues, evade or suppress innate and adaptive immune responses, and establish long-term persistence through strategies such as antigenic variation, immune modulation, intracellular replication, and manipulation of host signaling pathways. Despite the availability of multiple treatment options and vector control strategies for major infections in many regions, the rapid emergence of antimicrobial and antiparasitic drug resistance—driven by selective pressure, genetic plasticity, and horizontal gene transfer—combined with the continual emergence and re-emergence of novel pathogens poses an escalating global health challenge. A detailed understanding of host–pathogen interactions spanning microbial virulence factors, host genetic susceptibility, immunopathological mechanisms, cellular immune responses, tissue tropism, transmission dynamics, and environmental determinants of disease epidemiology is critical for designing effective interventions. This rapidly evolving landscape underscores the urgent need for sustained innovation in the development of next-generation therapeutic agents, broad-spectrum and pathogen-specific vaccines, and highly sensitive and specific diagnostic platforms to enable early detection, effective clinical management, and improved disease surveillance.

This Special Issue welcomes original research articles, reviews, and short communications that provide comprehensive insights into a broad spectrum of disciplines. Submissions may address a wide range of topics, including but not limited to host–pathogen interaction, microbial genetics and genomics, mechanisms underlying disease progression and virulence, epidemiological modeling and surveillance, public health strategies, and the development of new treatments, vaccines, diagnostic tools, and approaches for disease prevention and control. These multidisciplinary perspectives are essential for advancing our understanding of infectious diseases and for informing effective translational research and public health outcomes.

Dr. Gopinath Venugopal
Dr. Srijon K. Banerjee
Dr. Gokul Raj Kathamuthu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pathogens is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.