Journal profile · Immunology
Microbial Pathogenesis
ISSN 0882-4010 · eISSN 1096-1208 · Academic Press Inc. · ENGLAND · Monthly · Founded 1986
Microbial Pathogenesis: CAS Zone 3 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.79; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,140; median 108 days to acceptance (133 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 940 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Microbial Pathogenesis is published by Academic Press Inc. and is in Zone 3 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing, Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria and Escherichia coli research studies, together about 19.7% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Microbial Pathogenesis publishes original contributions and reviews about the molecular and cellular mechanisms of infectious diseases. It covers microbiology, host-pathogen interaction and immunology related to infectious agents, including bacteria, fungi, viruses and protozoa. It also accepts papers in the field of clinical microbiology, with the exception of case reports.Research Areas Include:PathogenesisVirulence factorsHost susceptibility or resistanceImmune mechanismsIdentification, cloning and sequencing of relevant genesGenetic studiesViruses, prokaryotic organisms and protozoaMicrobiotaSystems biology related to infectious diseasesTargets for vaccine design (pre-clinical studies)The journal aims for rapid publication of articles of high quality and significance in an international forum. Please note that reviews are only accepted upon editorial invitation.Short Communications have the following limits. The manuscript should ideally contain no more than 4-6 Figures/Tables and 4000 words, including the title page, all sections of the manuscript (including the references), and Figure/Table legends. The abstract should be limited to 200 words.Microbial Pathogenesis does not accept submissions that primarily consist of (a) bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases, or (b) the testing and evaluation of previously uncharacterized natural product-based drug candidates. The journal does not publish purely bioinformatic or computational studies without substantial experimental validation. Please be aware that experimental validation is a mandatory requirement for all submissions.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Immunology
Editor-in-chief G. LertmemongkolchaiPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 24 in mainland China (about 35%); most named Mainland China 24, United States 13, India 8, France 3, United Kingdom 2 (69 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensingBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology7%
- Antibiotic Resistance in BacteriaBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6.7%
- Escherichia coli research studiesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6%
- Aquaculture disease management and microbiotaImmunology and Microbiology5.9%
- Vibrio bacteria research studiesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.7%
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactionsEnvironmental Science5.5%
- Viral gastroenteritis research and epidemiologyMedicine4.6%
- Gut microbiota and healthBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Immunology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Microbiology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Immunology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Microbiology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Immunology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Microbiology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 3.79LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 3.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.9LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 5.9Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.94LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.02LetPub ·
- h-index
- 64LetPub ·
- h-index
- 140OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 5,441OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.89OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 8.87%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 903LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 9,383 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 564 | 99 | 233 |
| 2025 | 940 | 132 | 3,062 |
| 2024 | 650 | 102 | 5,089 |
| 2023 | 459 | 72 | 5,588 |
| 2022 | 493 | 106 | 8,279 |
| 2021 | 558 | 95 | 11,022 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
108 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 78 days – 167 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 2 days (133 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 111 days
- Sample
- 133 articles with submission and acceptance dates (1,811 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- 6–12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 11 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 65 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 131 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,140 / EUR 2,940 / GBP 2,510 / JPY 389,450 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,180 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 4,000 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted1
- case reportFor case reports you are required to follow CARE guidelines and provide the CARE checklist at manuscript submission.Read the CARE guidelinesFollow the CARE chec…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Authorship contribution requirements Model summary
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Elsevier Publishing Ethics Policy Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing allowed Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Academic Press Inc.
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1986
- ISSN
- 0882-4010
- Electronic ISSN
- 1096-1208
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Microbial Pathogenesis
What CAS zone is Microbial Pathogenesis in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Microbial Pathogenesis is in Zone 3 of Medicine, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Immunology / Microbiology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Microbial Pathogenesis?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.79; CiteScore 5.9, h-index 140.
How long does peer review take at Microbial Pathogenesis?
Based on the dates recorded on 133 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 108 days (interquartile range 78–167 days); authors report an average review time of 6–12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Microbial Pathogenesis?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Manuscript length: ≤ 4,000 words; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Cover letter: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Microbial Pathogenesis based?
Of the 69 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 24 (about 35%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (24), United States (13) and India (8). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Microbial Pathogenesis?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Microbial Pathogenesis is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Microbial Pathogenesis open access, and what is the APC?
Microbial Pathogenesis is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,140.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .