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Viral infections of the CNS have been implicated in many debilitating illnesses including chronic neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory disorders, neuropsychiatric conditions, acute encephalitis, and CNS malignancies. Although the effects of these manifold diseases are devastating, leading to death in some instances, the armamentarium of effective vaccines and therapeutics at our disposal to prevent and treat virus-mediated disorders of the CNS is astoundingly limited. It is, therefore, critical that we achieve a better understanding of the common mechanisms of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration involved in these disorders so that more effective therapeutics can be developed. In this special issue of the Journal of Neuro-immune Pharmacology, we have assembled an extraordinary collection of contributions, including both comprehensive reviews and primary research articles, from leaders in the field of neurovirology. The manuscripts contained herein focus on a variety of CNS diseases caused by or associated with viruses from disparate families and highlight virus-induced mechanisms of neuropathogenesis supported by both clinical and basic research findings. Ultimately, the elucidation of pathways of virus-mediated neurotoxicity and the neuroinflammatory processes underlying these various conditions will lead to the development of treatment strategies for heterogenous disorders of the CNS associated with viral infection.

Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) are of paramount concern as a group of pathogens at the forefront of emerging and re-emerging diseases. Although some arboviral infections are asymptomatic or present with a mild influenza-like illness, many are important human and veterinary pathogens causing serious illness ranging from rash and arthritis to encephalitis and hemorrhagic fever. Here, we discuss arboviruses from diverse families (Flaviviruses, Alphaviruses, and the Bunyaviridae) that are causative agents of encephalitis in humans. An understanding of the natural history of these infections as well as shared mechanisms of neuroinvasion and neurovirulence is critical to control the spread of these viruses and for the development of effective vaccines and treatment modalities.