Viral Molecular Epidemiology

Dear Colleagues,

Viral molecular epidemiology coupled with phylogenetic analysis is a powerful approach for the investigation of transmission, diversity, and evolution and origin of viruses and to explore the determinants of disease transmission in human populations. Associations between viral genomes and disease pathogenesis and clinical outcomes may also be assessed. For example, analysis of human and animal coronavirus genomes identified in outbreaks and in surveillance programs since the emergence of SARS in 2002 has demonstrated the close relationship between human SARS CoV and bat CoV, indicating a bat origin for SARS CoV; similarly, the emergent novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV identified in patients with pneumonia of an unknown cause has been shown to be closely related yet distinct to SARS CoV, clustering with bat-derived SARS-like CoV. Incorporating molecular clock analysis to assess evolutionary origin and movement of viruses within and between countries informs our understanding of movement and dispersal of viruses and associations with disease severity, a recent example being Zika virus transmission in the Americas following likely introduction from French Polynesia. Molecular epidemiological studies using travelers as sentinels provide insights into virus transmission patterns in regions where viral genomic data are not widely reported and enhance our understanding of genome origin and evolution, and viral and epidemic virulence.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to present original research articles and reviews related to viral molecular epidemiology studies that describe transmission and evolution of human and animal viral pathogens.

Dr. Allison Imrie
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-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.