Diagnosing and managing Neuroinfectious Diseases in Travelers and Migrants: Challenges in Non-Endemic Settings

The field of neuroinfectious diseases is profoundly affected by the dynamics of global travel, tourism, and migration, which have reshaped how endemic diseases and neurotropic pathogens spread and manifest in geographically distant populations. Infections once confined to specific regions are now regularly observed in non-endemic settings, altering both epidemiological patterns and clinical practice. The emergence and establishment of West Nile virus with associated neurological syndromes in the United States after 1999 exemplify this trend, as do increasing reports of central nervous system (CNS) tuberculosis and parasitic infections in high-income countries linked to migration. Simultaneously, climate change and urbanization are expanding the range of vectors such as mosquitoes and ticks, thereby modifying the global distribution of CNS infections. Many imported neuroinfections present with atypical or nonspecific neurological symptoms, mimicking autoimmune, vascular, or neoplastic disorders which complicates diagnosis and delays treatment. These evolving trends highlight the urgent need for clinicians and researchers to better understand the epidemiology, presentation, and management of neuroinfectious diseases in travelers and migrant populations.

This Research Topic aims to address the growing knowledge gaps surrounding imported and emerging neuroinfectious diseases by fostering global awareness, knowledge exchange, and multidisciplinary collaboration. The central goal is to integrate clinical neurology, infectious disease research, and global health perspectives to improve recognition, diagnosis, and management of CNS infections in non-endemic regions. Specific objectives include characterizing the neurological manifestations of emerging neurotropic pathogens, examining the diagnostic challenges associated with atypical or imported neuroinfections, and exploring the influence of global mobility and environmental change on disease dynamics. Ultimately, this Topic seeks to strengthen preparedness among neurologists and infectious disease professionals, enabling timely detection and better clinical outcomes for patients affected by globally mobile pathogens.

To gather further insights into the emerging landscape of CNS infections linked to travel and migration, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Changing epidemiology of CNS infections associated with global travel, migration, and tourism
• Pathophysiology and mechanisms of neuroinvasion by emerging neurotropic pathogens
• Diagnostic strategies and neuroimaging features of imported neuroinfectious diseases in non-endemic areas
• Clinical manifestations that mimic autoimmune, vascular, or neoplastic disorders
• Public health implications of climate change and urbanization on the spread of neuroinfectious diseases
• Prevention, management, and rehabilitation strategies for CNS infections in travelers and migrants
• Cross-disciplinary collaborations and international surveillance systems for emerging neuroinfections

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review

Keywords: Global travel, migration, central nervous system infections, endemic diseases, neurotropic pathogens

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.