Avian Influenza Virus Transmission and Pathogenesis: Why Does Influenza Successfully Jump between Some Host Species but Not the Others?

Dear Colleagues,

In this challenging time as we continue our battle together against COVID-19, the prestigious and open access journal Animals published by MDPI, would like to present our scientific community with the opportunity to showcase research in Special Issue on ‘Avian Influenza Virus Transmission and Pathogenesis: Why Does Influenza Successfully Jump between Some Host Species but Not Others?’. Although we welcome articles on a broad range of aspects of avian influenza biology, there will be a significant emphasis on avian influenza virus transmission and new host adaptation. Influenza A virus (IAV) can change through antigenic drift and recombination allowing for the emergence of new strains and subtype combinations. The mechanisms by which viruses adapt to new host species, usually distantly related, leading to sustained transmission are still largely unelucidated. The co-evolutionary relationship between bird host and IAV may appear stable at the organismal level but is highly dynamic at the molecular level manifesting in a constant trade-off between transmissibility and virulence of the viruses.

This Special Issue will also include new discoveries that have emerged from the use of novel approaches to study avian influenza virus biology. The issue will explore avian influenza virus-host interactions, analyze changes in viral genomes under immunological or environmental pressure, and investigate strategies for controlling virus spread in different species. We also aim to create a broader perspective on this topic through an analysis of global patterns of influenza virus infection in wild birds in the context of host ecology and birds' behavior.

The issue will collect reviews and original articles that span general virology, immunology, evolutionary biology and ecology, virus transmission, and disease control and prevention. We are also seeking articles on applications of high-throughput sequencing technology in avian influenza virus detection and characterization. Furthermore, articles that regard wild bird migratory flyways and their impact on the spread of avian influenza virus are also welcome.

Dr. Klaudia Chrzastek
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 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.