Viruses

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Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us a lot on public health strategies. Viruses mutate, spread among animal hosts in which they evolve, and sometimes acquire the capacity to infect humans. RNA viruses have exceptional mutational potential, producing a myriad of variants and quasispecies with potentially devastating pathogenic effects. DNA viruses are not left out, as evidenced by the recent detection of an abnormally high number of cases of the Monkeypox virus in Europe and in the USA. Faced with these acute public health problems, we must adapt therapeutic and vaccine strategies, design new ones, and, like viruses, we must constantly innovate. Our objective is to publish a series of articles on the mechanisms of infection of pathogenic viruses, including SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, influenza virus, Monkeypox virus or Nipah virus, and on the rational design of new prophylactic and therapeutic approaches. We hope to stimulate innovative ideas for vaccines and antiviral treatments capable of providing rapid responses in the event of new outbreaks. Research articles, reviews and perspectives are welcomed for this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Jacques Fantini
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

SARS-CoV-2 variants
Monkeypox virus
Nipah virus
virus–host interactions
antivirals
vaccines
mutations
lipid rafts
virus receptors
immune escape

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 8013 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An In Silico Analysis of PCR-Based Monkeypox Virus Detection Assays: A Case Study for Ongoing Clinical Surveillance

by Kuncheng Song, Hayden N. Brochu, Qimin Zhang, Jonathan D. Williams and Lakshmanan K. Iyer

Viruses 2023, 15(12), 2327; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/v15122327 - 27 Nov 2023

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Abstract

The 2022 global Mpox outbreak swiftly introduced unforeseen diversity in the monkeypox virus (MPXV) population, resulting in numerous Clade IIb sublineages. This propagation of new MPXV mutations warrants the thorough re-investigation of previously recommended or validated primers designed to target MPXV genomes. In this study, we explored 18 PCR primer sets and examined their binding specificity against 5210 MPXV genomes, representing all the established MPXV lineages. Our results indicated that only five primer sets resulted in almost all perfect matches against the targeted MPXV lineages, and the remaining primer sets all contained 1–2 mismatches against almost all the MPXV lineages. We further investigated the mismatched primer-genome pairs and discovered that some of the primers overlapped with poorly sequenced and assembled regions of the MPXV genomes, which are consistent across multiple lineages. However, we identified 173 99% genome-wide conserved regions across all 5210 MPXV genomes, representing 30 lineages/clades with at least 80% lineage-specific consensus for future primer development and primer binding evaluation. This exercise is crucial to ensure that the current detection schemes are robust and serve as a framework for primer evaluation in clinical testing development for other infectious diseases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Strategies against SARS-CoV-2 Variants and Future Emerging Virus Outbreaks)

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Other

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23 pages, 942 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics of Mpox in Cisgender and Transgender Women and Non-Binary Individuals Assigned to the Female Sex at Birth: A Comprehensive, Critical Global Perspective

by Nicola Luigi Bragazzi, Woldegebriel Assefa Woldegerima, Jianhong Wu, Manlio Converti, Lukasz Szarpak, Andrea Crapanzano, Marwan Odeh, Raymond Farah and Rola Khamisy-Farah

Viruses 2024, 16(3), 325; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/v16030325 - 21 Feb 2024

Viewed by 1233

Abstract

The 2022–2023 Mpox multi-country outbreak, identified in over 110 WHO Member States, revealed a predominant impact on cisgender men, particularly those engaging in sex with men, while less frequently affecting women. This disparity prompted a focused investigation into the gender-specific characteristics of Mpox infections, particularly among women, to address a notable knowledge gap. This review systematically gathers and analyzes the scientific literature and case reports concerning Mpox infections in women, covering a broad geographical spectrum including regions such as Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Nigeria, Europe, Vietnam, and the United States. The analysis delves into various aspects of Mpox in women, including clinical features, epidemiology, psychological impacts, preparedness strategies, and case studies, with particular attention to pregnant women and those with underlying health conditions. Empirical data from multiple studies underscore the unique epidemiological and clinical patterns of Mpox in women. In the United States, a small percentage of Mpox cases were reported among cisgender women, with a notable portion involving non-Hispanic Black or African American, non-Hispanic White, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicities. The primary transmission route was identified as sexual or close intimate contact, with the virus predominantly manifesting on the legs, arms, and genital areas. Further, a study in Spain highlighted significant disparities in diagnosis delays, transmission modes, and clinical manifestations between genders, indicating a different risk profile and disease progression in women. Additionally, a case from Vietnam, linked to a new Mpox sub-lineage in women, emphasized the role of women in the transmission dynamics and the importance of genomic monitoring. This review emphasizes the necessity for inclusive surveillance and research to fully understand Mpox dynamics across diverse population groups, including women. Highlighting gender and sexual orientation in public health responses is crucial for an effective approach to managing the spread and impact of this disease. The findings advocate for a gender-diverse assessment in health services and further research to explore the nuances of Mpox transmission, behavior, and progression among different groups, thereby enhancing the global response to Mpox and similar public health challenges. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Strategies against SARS-CoV-2 Variants and Future Emerging Virus Outbreaks)

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