Mother to Child Transmission of Viral Infections

Dear Colleagues,

The mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of viral infections causes significant morbidity and mortality in children, and the socioeconomic burden of this phenomenon is substantial. Maternal screening is an accepted component of several strategies for the prevention of congenital and neonatal viral infections. For example, pregnant women are tested for hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, HIV, human T-cell leukemia virus type I, and rubella virus during antenatal checkups in Japan. Neonatal screening, either targeted or universal, has been implemented for cytomegalovirus in some areas of Europe and North America. Although we have seen marked improvements in our understanding of epidemiological features, there remain many issues to be resolved in the development of diagnostic measures and preventive and therapeutic strategies for several vertical viral infections. Particularly pressing are the challenges of MTCT due to endemic viruses (e.g., Zika virus) and newly emerging viruses (e.g., SARS-CoV-2). The goal of this Special Issue of Viruses is to explore new advances in the study of the MTCT of viral infections. We invite original research and review articles on the pathogenesis and prevention of MTCT of viral infections. Topics of interest regarding MTCT include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

• pathogenesis and defense mechanisms;
• screening strategies expected to be introduced;
• preventive measures;
• therapeutic agents expected to be introduced.

Dr. Kazuo Itabashi
Prof. Dr. Hiroyuki Moriuchi
Guest Editors

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