Molecular epidemiology of viral diseases in the era of next generation sequencing.

In virology, molecular epidemiology is defined as the applica-tion of molecular methods to study the causation and dynamicsof viral diseases in a population. In the study of viral diseases,this is determined by the transmission of the corresponding eti-ological agent on its host, and how this phenomenon affects thespread of the disease within the population. Molecular epidemi-ology uses information about genetic variation to investigate theevolution, transmissionandpathogenesisofviralagents.Molecularepidemiological toolshaveprovidedimportantinsightsinthestudyof viral diseases, improving significantly our understanding aboutthe history of infection, virus evolution, spread and disease trans-mission that have helped to implement public health policies.