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TropicalMed
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Arboviral Infections: Pathogenesis and Immunity
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Arboviral Infections: Pathogenesis and Immunity

A special issue of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease (ISSN 2414-6366). This special issue belongs to the section "Vector-Borne Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 5625

Editors

Dr. Sharton Vinicius Antunes Coelho

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Microbiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Avenida Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, CCS, Bloco I, Lab.I-SS 048, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
Interests: arboviral infection; innate immunity; hemostasis; coagulation; blood–brain barrier; endothelial cells; neuroinflammation
Dr. Isadora Alonso Corrêa

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Institute of Microbiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Avenida Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, CCS, Bloco I, Lab.I-SS 048, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
Interests: viral infection; molecular biology; celular biology; viral evolution; viral replication
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Globally, emerging and re-emerging arboviral infections represent a public health challenge due to their expanding geographic distribution, increasing incidence, and potential to cause severe disease. Transmitted primarily by hematophagous arthropods such as mosquitoes and ticks, arboviruses include a wide range of viruses related to hemorrhagic (dengue), arthritogenic (chikungunya, Mayaro), systemic (yellow fever), and neuroinvasive (Zika, West Nile, and Japanese encephalitis) infections. Especially in the context of climatic changes, the complex interactions among vertebrate and invertebrate hosts are continuously evolving, directly impacting reservoirs, human and wildlife health, and ecosystem dynamics.

This Special Issue welcomes original research and review articles that explore the molecular, cellular, and immunological mechanisms underlying arboviral diseases. Studies in the field that contribute to key aspects such as the viral replication cycle, host determinants influencing susceptibility, disease severity, and clinical outcomes, as well as major topics related to innate and adaptive immune responses, including interferon signaling, inflammatory pathways, antibody-mediated immunity, and T cell responses, are the focus of this Special Issue. In addition, articles addressing advances in experimental in vitro and in vivo models, immunological profiling, and systems biology approaches are also welcome, as they will provide valuable tools for improving our understanding of arboviral pathogenesis and contribute to the development of new prophylactic and therapeutic strategies.

Dr. Sharton Vinicius Antunes Coelho
Guest Editor

Dr. Isadora Alonso Corrêa
Co-Guest Editor

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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 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 2700 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.

Keywords

  • arboviral disease
  • viral replication
  • viral pathogenesis
  • innate and adaptative immunity
  • inflammatory response
  • molecular and cellular mechanisms
  • experimental models

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 1125 KB  
Article
Unveiling Clinical Phenotypes in Chronic Chikungunya Disease: Insights from a Brazilian Observational Study
by Karen Santos Lima, Adriane Paz Rocha, Alice Lanna Damásio Castro, Anna Carolina Faria Moreira Gomes Tavares, Flávia Patrícia Sena Teixeira Santos, Gilda Aparecida Ferrreira, Livia Barbara Cordeiro Alves, Josiane Lino dos Santos Frattari, Juliana Froeseler Fittipaldi, Lucas Borba Paulino Coelho, Maria Fernanda Brandão de Resende Guimarães, Pedro Ribeiro de Jesus Almeida, Último Libânio Costa, Cristina Costa Duarte Lanna, Gustavo Gomes Resende and Mauro Martins Teixeira
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2026, 11(5), 140; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed11050140 - 19 May 2026
Viewed by 1374
Abstract
Chronic chikungunya disease (CCD) affects approximately 30–50% of infected individuals and is associated with persistent inflammatory arthritis, chronic pain, and long-term functional disability. We conducted a prospective observational cohort study including 584 patients with laboratory-confirmed chikungunya infection, evaluated between 3 and 12 months [...] Read more.
Chronic chikungunya disease (CCD) affects approximately 30–50% of infected individuals and is associated with persistent inflammatory arthritis, chronic pain, and long-term functional disability. We conducted a prospective observational cohort study including 584 patients with laboratory-confirmed chikungunya infection, evaluated between 3 and 12 months after acute infection, to better understand the natural history, risk factors, clinical presentation, and treatment patterns of CCD. Here, we present a cross-sectional analysis derived from this cohort. Older age, female sex, and higher body mass index were identified as major risk factors for CCD. Four distinct clinical phenotypes were identified: Axial (12.2%), defined by inflammatory axial pain regardless of peripheral manifestations; Oligoarthritis (18.1%), defined by fewer than four swollen joints; Polyarthritis (10.6%), defined by four or more swollen joints; and Pain without Swelling (70.4%), characterized by myalgia and/or arthralgia in the absence of objective inflammatory findings on physical examination. The axial phenotype could overlap with peripheral phenotypes, whereas oligoarthritis, polyarthritis, and pain without swelling were mutually exclusive categories. These phenotypes differed substantially in symptom burden and clinical impact. Patients with the Pain without Swelling phenotype had longer symptom duration, whereas Axial and Polyarthritis phenotypes were associated with greater functional impairment and higher disease burden. These findings reinforce the clinical heterogeneity of CCD and support the potential value of phenotype-based approaches for clinical management and future therapeutic research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Arboviral Infections: Pathogenesis and Immunity)
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Review

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15 pages, 3574 KB  
Review
Dengue NS1 as a Driver of Immune-Mediated Pathogenesis
by Upeksha S. Wanigarathna, Senaka Rajapakse, Sisira L. Pathirana, Shiroma M. Handunnetti, Andreas Nitsche and Narmada Fernando
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2026, 11(5), 128; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed11050128 - 8 May 2026
Viewed by 1151
Abstract
Dengue infection remains a major global health concern, with a subset of patients progressing from self-limited dengue fever to severe disease characterised by plasma leakage, shock, and organ dysfunction. The dengue non-structural protein 1 (NS1), a multifunctional glycoprotein expressed on infected cells and [...] Read more.
Dengue infection remains a major global health concern, with a subset of patients progressing from self-limited dengue fever to severe disease characterised by plasma leakage, shock, and organ dysfunction. The dengue non-structural protein 1 (NS1), a multifunctional glycoprotein expressed on infected cells and secreted into circulation, has emerged as a key mediator linking viral infection to immune-driven vascular pathology. This review synthesises experimental, animal, and human clinical evidence on NS1-driven immunopathogenesis, focusing on mechanisms leading to endothelial dysfunction and increased vascular permeability. NS1 modulates the complement system in a context-dependent manner, contributing to immune evasion by inhibiting terminal complement complex formation, while also promoting antibody-dependent complement activation associated with severe disease. Additionally, NS1 directly disrupts endothelial barrier integrity through disruption of adherens and tight junction architecture, Ang-2/Tie2 imbalance, activation of RhoA/ROCK (RhoA/Rho-associated coiled-coil-containing protein kinase) signalling, and enzymatic degradation of the endothelial glycocalyx, with further amplification through inflammatory mediators. In addition, evidence shows that NS1 activates innate immune signalling, perturbs platelet biology and haemostasis, and forms pro-inflammatory complexes with lipoproteins. Moreover, anti-NS1 antibodies may be both protective and pathogenic. Collectively, these data position NS1-linked pathways as rational targets for adjunctive therapies and next-generation vaccines aimed at preventing vascular leakage and severe dengue infection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Arboviral Infections: Pathogenesis and Immunity)
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29 pages, 1314 KB  
Review
Yellow Fever in Pregnancy: A Comprehensive Review of the Clinical Implications and Vaccination in the Context of the 2024–2026 Americas Outbreak
by Alfonso J. Rodríguez-Morales, Katherine Acevedo-Jimenez, María Eugenia Guevara, Alicia Chang-Cojulun, José Brea-Del Castillo, Melissa Palmieri, Maria L. Avila-Agüero, Francisco Javier Membrillo de Novales, Carlos Torres-Martínez, Sandra X. Olaya, Sergio David Angulo, Jaime A. Cardona-Ospina, Roberto Debbag, Carlos Espinal, Maritza Cabrera, Jaime David Acosta-España, Darío S. López-Delgado, Marco A. Solarte-Portilla, Oscar Fraile, Tatiana Drummond, Rodrigo Nogueira Angerami, Flor M. Muñoz, Irene Benítez, Kleber Luz, María Alejandra López-Zambrano, Cristina Hernán-García, Daniel Leonardo Sánchez-Carmona, Lisette Cortes, Hernán Vargas, Lysien Zambrano, Danna Lucía Calderón-Medina, Diana Alejandra Hernández-Ramírez, Abraham Katime, Álvaro A. Faccini-Martínez, Leidy J. Medina-Lozano, Beatriz Elena Porras-Pedroza, Cristian Biscayart, Ana Carvajal, Lily M. Soto-Ávila, Marbelys Hernández, Rolando Ulloa-Gutierrez, Laura Naranjo-Lara, José Alejandro Mojica, Matthew H. Collins, Herberth Maldonado, Marco A. P. Safadi, Enrique Chacon-Cruz and José A. Suárezadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2026, 11(4), 92; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed11040092 - 30 Mar 2026
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Abstract
Yellow fever remains a major public health threat in endemic and re-emerging regions of Africa and South America, with recent outbreaks highlighting persistent gaps in prevention and surveillance. Pregnant women represent a particularly vulnerable population, yet the epidemiology, clinical impact, and preventive strategies [...] Read more.
Yellow fever remains a major public health threat in endemic and re-emerging regions of Africa and South America, with recent outbreaks highlighting persistent gaps in prevention and surveillance. Pregnant women represent a particularly vulnerable population, yet the epidemiology, clinical impact, and preventive strategies for yellow fever in pregnancy are insufficiently characterized. Physiological and immunological changes during gestation may influence host responses to infection; however, current evidence does not demonstrate increased susceptibility to or severity of yellow fever during pregnancy. Adverse materno-fetal outcomes, including miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm birth, and, in rare cases, perinatal transmission, have been reported but remain poorly characterized. Diagnostic challenges, overlapping clinical presentations with other arboviral and hepatic diseases, and limited access to specialized care further complicate clinical management in many endemic settings. This perspective provides a comprehensive overview of yellow fever in pregnancy during the 2024–2026 outbreak in the Americas, including a risk-stratification framework for prevention. We summarize current evidence on epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and supportive care, and examine prevention strategies with particular emphasis on vaccination. Accumulated observational evidence and substantial real-world experience have not demonstrated an increased risk of serious adverse events and generally support the effectiveness of yellow fever vaccination during pregnancy when administered with appropriate clinical judgment. In high-risk settings, the benefits of maternal immunization clearly outweigh theoretical concerns, supporting a flexible, risk-based approach, despite relatively limited evidence. We also discuss national and international policies, post-pregnancy booster recommendations, and the importance of integrating vaccination assessment into antenatal care. Finally, we highlight critical knowledge gaps and research priorities, including the need for prospective registries and strengthened pharmacovigilance. Coordinated clinical and public health strategies are essential to protect maternal and neonatal health and to reduce the burden of yellow fever in endemic and re-emerging settings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Arboviral Infections: Pathogenesis and Immunity)
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