Dear Colleagues,

Natural selection plays a critical role in shaping the evolutionary dynamics of DNA and RNA viral populations. Multiple mechanisms including positive and negative selection, recombination, selection relaxation, codon and dinucleotide usage among others represent some of the mechanisms promoting the adaptation of these populations. In this context, an understanding of the different evolutionary dynamic signatures of these populations is critical component to control viral diseases. Animal populations are subject to infection with a variety of viral agents. Currently, animal diseases such as African swine fever, classical swine fever, and foot and mouth disease, among others, represent a real threat to the worldwide economy. Zoonotic diseases can also have significant public health implications, as is seen in the case of influenza virus. With the ever-evolving evolution of viral agents within human populations, including the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and Mpox virus outbreaks, there is a risk for zooanthroponotic transmission events in animal populations, promoting the potential adaptation of human pathogens in animal populations, a situation that might complicate the control of these pathogens.

In this special issue of Microorganisms, we are inviting you to send contributions concerning any aspect related to the evolution of DNA and RNA viruses with the potential to affect animal populations (including livestock, companion, and wild animals). We are welcoming multiple categories of original studies involving in-silico, in-vitro and in-vivo approaches intended to decipher the evolutionary dynamics of DNA and RNA viruses. We are also considering the publication of review articles, perspective and commentary papers, and letters to the editor, among other formats.

Dr. Lauro Velazquez-Salinas
Dr. Anna Munsey
Guest Editors

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. Microorganisms 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 2700 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.

• natural selection
• molecular epidemiology
• recombination
• phylogenetics
• codon usage
• dinucleotide usage
• African swine fever virus
• classical swine fever virus
• foot and mouth disease virus
• SARS-CoV-2
• Mpox virus