Dear Colleagues,

The world of rhabdoviruses remains one the most large and diverse within the virosphere, with 45 genera and 275 species identified thus far. However, this viral universe is still in expansion, with many new rhabdoviruses awaiting official classification. Despite few exceptions, viruses belonging to the family Rhabdoviridae share some common characteristics, such as: a negative-sense, single-stranded RNA genome with at least five canonical genes (nucleoprotein or N, phosphoprotein or P, matrix or M, glycoprotein or G and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase or L); a bullet-shaped or bacilliform morphology; and a lipid envelope derived from the cytoplasmic membrane of the host cell.

Apart from these common features, rhabdovirus members occupy many ecological environments, and they are associated with a broad geographic distribution. Indeed, at least 10% of these viruses are isolated from plants, and over half of them are able to infect diverse vertebrates, including reptiles, fish, birds, and various mammals. Additionally, a significant number of rhabdoviruses have been identified in arthropods, playing an important role in terms of virus dynamics and transmission.

Within each of these ecological niches, there are some important members of the virus whose infections can induce major impacts on these ecosystems. As an example, more than 20 rhabdoviruses can infect humans, some causing severe diseases such as the well-known rabies, which is due to lyssavirus infection and is responsible for nearly 59,000 deaths worldwide each year. Other rhabdoviruses can also have important consequences for cattle and breeding, such as different members of the genera Vesiculovirus and Ephemerovirus, which can lead to high costs in terms of production losses. Fish and other aquatic animals can also be affected by rhabdovirus infection by at least three virus genera (Novirhabdovirus, Perhabdovirus and Siniperhavirus), leading to significant economic losses for fishing industries. Plants and crops can also be heavily impacted by specific and well-adapted rhabdoviruses. On top of these situations, numerous rhabdoviruses are considered as arboviruses, with insects and other arthropods playing active roles in virus dynamics and their dissemination to other animals or plants, or in arthropods themselves, leading to potential virus emergence.

Apart from these taxonomic, ecological or epidemiological considerations, rhabdoviruses also represent relevant models to study various aspects of the field of viral ‘molecular life’, from a structural analysis of the viral proteins to understanding the mechanisms of replication or cell/host interplay. In addition, rhabdoviruses have been widely used as biological tools in research and even in medicine (vesiculovirus-based pseudotypes, neural tracking using rabies virus systems or proteins, etc.).

Thus, the world of rhabdoviruses represents an amazing and expanding field of research and investigation, with multiple effects on the fields of virology, biology, plants, animal or human health, therapeutic/medicine and zoonotic emergence.

In this context, the aim of this Special Issue is to provide a comprehensive overview of the biology, ecology and evolution of rhabdoviruses, as well as to contribute to filling the gaps of knowledge in this field. The Special Issue would like to include articles from leading experts in the field that cover various aspects of rhabdovirus research, including virus–host interactions, viral pathogenesis, the development of novel therapeutics and vaccines, as well as the importance of rhabdoviruses in emerging infectious diseases and strategies for virus control. Overall, "The World of Rhabdoviruses" provides a valuable resource for researchers and clinicians interested in this important group of viruses and highlights the need for interdisciplinary approaches to studying this highly diverse group of infectious agents.

This Special Issue encourages the submission of articles covering the following research areas, but topics are not limited to these:

• Rhabdovirus detection and characterization;
• Rhabdovirus diversity and evolution;
• Interactions between rhabdovirus and host cell;
• Determination of rhabdovirus epidemiology, ecology and mechanisms of dissemination in natural reservoirs or secondary hosts;
• Development and evaluation of antiviral drugs and vaccines dedicated to rhabdoviruses;
• Rhabdoviruses as biological tools;
• Rhabdovirus infections’ impact in a changing world (in the context of One Health and Planetary Health concepts);
• Surveillance and control programs of rhabdoviruses.

Dr. Laurent Dacheux
Dr. Laurent Bigarré
Dr. Juliana Freitas-Astua
Dr. Dongsheng Luo
Guest Editors

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• rhabdovirus
• animal
• plant
• insect
• fish
• vertebrate
• arbovirus
• reservoir
• emergence
• epidemiology
• evolution
• diversity
• transmission
• animal model
• cellular model
• structure
• molecular interaction
• diagnostic
• antiviral drugs
• vaccine
• surveillance
• control program
• one health
• economy