Viruses of the Flaviviridae and Alphaviridae families are single-stranded RNA viruses that are primarily transmitted to humans by mosquitoes and ticks. Flaviviruses include Zika, West Nile, Powassan, and Dengue viruses, while Alphaviruses include Chikungunya, Ross River, and Mayaro viruses. These viruses can cause a wide range of diseases, including fever, rash, joint pain, and neurological symptoms, and can be life-threatening in some cases.
The spread and transmission of flaviviruses and alphaviruses have been increasing extensively over the last several decades, with an estimated 400 million people infected every year. This increase in spread is likely the result of global warming, which has led to temperature increases in northern latitudes and thus expanding the habitable range of these arthropod vectors. The spread of these infections is most common in regions of South and Southeast Asia and Africa, especially in countries with high poverty rates and limited access to healthcare.
Despite the significant public health threat posed by flaviviruses and alphaviruses, there are only a limited number of licensed vaccines and antiviral drugs available for these viruses. This shortage of therapeutics and the lack of animal models for evaluating these viral infections are severely obstructing research development.
Researchers are exploring new methods to combat flaviviruses and alphaviruses, including high-throughput sequencing technologies to better understand the genomic characteristics of these viruses and identify immune evasive mutations as well as potential targets for drug development.
Additionally, mRNA-based vaccines are being developed to target some of these viruses.
In summary, flaviviruses and alphaviruses are significant public health threats that continue to pose a challenge to researchers and healthcare professionals worldwide. Further research is needed to better understand these viruses and develop effective treatments to combat them. The objective of this Research Topic on Frontiers in Virology is to gather a compilation of research papers and reviews that emphasize the crucial progress made in comprehending the pathogenesis of flaviviruses and alphaviruses.
Keywords:
Cellular response to viral infection, Virus-Vector/Host interactions, Alphavirus, Flavivirus, Viral Pathogenesis, Epidemiology
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
Viruses of the Flaviviridae and Alphaviridae families are single-stranded RNA viruses that are primarily transmitted to humans by mosquitoes and ticks. Flaviviruses include Zika, West Nile, Powassan, and Dengue viruses, while Alphaviruses include Chikungunya, Ross River, and Mayaro viruses. These viruses can cause a wide range of diseases, including fever, rash, joint pain, and neurological symptoms, and can be life-threatening in some cases.
The spread and transmission of flaviviruses and alphaviruses have been increasing extensively over the last several decades, with an estimated 400 million people infected every year. This increase in spread is likely the result of global warming, which has led to temperature increases in northern latitudes and thus expanding the habitable range of these arthropod vectors. The spread of these infections is most common in regions of South and Southeast Asia and Africa, especially in countries with high poverty rates and limited access to healthcare.
Despite the significant public health threat posed by flaviviruses and alphaviruses, there are only a limited number of licensed vaccines and antiviral drugs available for these viruses. This shortage of therapeutics and the lack of animal models for evaluating these viral infections are severely obstructing research development.
Researchers are exploring new methods to combat flaviviruses and alphaviruses, including high-throughput sequencing technologies to better understand the genomic characteristics of these viruses and identify immune evasive mutations as well as potential targets for drug development.
Additionally, mRNA-based vaccines are being developed to target some of these viruses.
In summary, flaviviruses and alphaviruses are significant public health threats that continue to pose a challenge to researchers and healthcare professionals worldwide. Further research is needed to better understand these viruses and develop effective treatments to combat them. The objective of this Research Topic on Frontiers in Virology is to gather a compilation of research papers and reviews that emphasize the crucial progress made in comprehending the pathogenesis of flaviviruses and alphaviruses.
Keywords:
Cellular response to viral infection, Virus-Vector/Host interactions, Alphavirus, Flavivirus, Viral Pathogenesis, Epidemiology
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.