Hepatitis Virus Genetic Heterogeneity: Impact in Epidemiology and Clinical Pathology

Dear Colleagues,

Viral hepatitis (A-D) remains a global health concern, especially due to the clinical impact caused by chronic infections (B\D and C). In addition to clinical manifestations, molecular and epidemiological investigations have become essential tools for understanding viral diversity, transmission dynamics, geographical distribution and mutations associated with resistance. This Special Issue highlights advances in the genetic and epidemiological characterization of hepatitis viruses, with an emphasis on molecular surveillance, the distribution of genotypes and the impact of viral variants on diagnosis, treatment and public health strategies.

Despite the robust literature on viral hepatitis, there are still gaps in the distribution of these viruses in specific population groups; alternative diagnostic tests with high sensitivity, specificity and multiplex detection, that can help to identify active cases particularly in vulnerable populations; and genomic surveillance studies with epidemiological mapping of circulating genotypes, mutations associated with drug resistance and immune escape that can select specific viral populations, correlate with disease progression and risk of complications.

This Special Issue of Viruses invites original and review articles on viral hepatitis that contribute to the understanding of virus detection and genotypes. We are seeking studies that investigate the detection and characterization of hepatitis viruses using molecular tools, including innovative approaches. Emphasis will be placed on the application of sequencing technologies for viral genotyping and genomic surveillance. We also encourage submissions that address the identification of resistance-associated and immune escape mutations, as well as bioinformatics strategies to analyze viral diversity and transmission dynamics. The development and validation of diagnostic tools, especially those applicable in co-infection or resource-limited scenarios, are also of interest.

Dr. Livia Melo Villar
Dr. Lucas Lima da Silva
Dr. Diego Flichman
Guest Editors

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