Evolutionary Challenges of RNA Viruses: Insights from SARS-CoV-2 Variants and Emerging Respiratory Diseases
A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "General Virology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 743
Special Issue Editor
Interests: viral hepatitis; DAA; liver cancer; novel therapies; lipid metabolism; emerging infections
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Rapid evolutionary changes in RNA viruses are central to the emergence, spread, and control of respiratory diseases. This evolutionary adaptability poses a continuous challenge to public health efforts as it requires constant surveillance, updates to vaccines, and readiness to manage new outbreaks or variants that may arise. In addition, evolutionary changes in RNA viruses can cause the re-emergence of previously controlled viral outbreaks, particularly when mutations result in more virulent or transmissible forms. For instance, the evolution of avian influenza strains, like H5N1 and H7N9, has led to periodic outbreaks, raising concerns about their potential to cause future pandemics. Moreover, prolonged infections in immunocompromised COVID-19 patients have been linked to the emergence of certain mutations seen in SARS-CoV2 variants of concern. Thus, understanding and monitoring the evolutionary dynamics of RNA viruses are crucial to mitigating future viral-induced respiratory pandemics.
Dr. Ahmed El-Shamy
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
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. Viruses 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 2600 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
- RNA viruses
- evolution
- influenza
- SARS-CoV2
- COVID-19
- respiratory diseases
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
