Scope

Viruses continue to present humanity with major challenges, in terms of threats to health and quality of life. In many parts of the world virus infections contribute to high levels of death and disease. Furthermore, the continual appearance of novel variants or cross-species virus transmission represents major global threats for the future. Virus infections can range from being asymptomatic through to being acute infections with extensive viraemia, with the possible accompanying immunological sequelae, through to being long-term persistent and chronic infections, which in many cases can result in the development of cancer.

There is a pressing need, not only to understand more completely how different viruses infect their target cells to induce their various pathologies, but also to determine what steps can be taken to block viruses at different points within their life cycles or during disease progression.

Virus and Host, a Specialty Section within Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, provides a platform for studies addressing interactions between viruses and their human hosts. In particular, Virus and Host publishes papers on any virus that causes infection in humans, with an emphasis on those which present pressing health issues. Molecular studies that contribute to our understanding of the molecular basis for infection and for the induction of diverse pathologies are also invited. These can include animal modelling but their relevance to human disease should be included. Basic descriptive or epidemiological analyses are not within the scope of this section.

An often-unrealised element of the study of viruses is the insights that they can provide into fundamental biological processes. We are therefore particularly interested in studies which are cross-cutting and use human viruses to shed light on processes that are relevant for the understanding of cell biology in general.

Submission

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