Best Infectious Disease Journals (2026): Ranked by Impact and Accessibility
Ranked list of the top 12 infectious disease journals by impact factor, acceptance rate, APC, and review speed, covering clinical trials, antimicrobial resistance, surveillance, and emerging-pathogen research.
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Infectious disease research spans an enormous range: clinical trials of antibiotics and antivirals, molecular microbiology, epidemiology of outbreaks, vaccine development, antimicrobial resistance, global health, and emerging pathogens. The journal landscape is equally broad, with clinical ID journals, microbiology journals, public health journals, and pathogen-specific journals all competing for the same research.
Post-pandemic, the field has seen lasting shifts. Respiratory infection research, pandemic preparedness, and antimicrobial resistance remain hot topics with heavy competition for journal space. Here's where your paper fits.
Elite tier (IF 15+)
These journals publish research that shapes clinical guidelines, public health policy, and our understanding of host-pathogen interactions at the deepest level.
1. The Lancet Infectious Diseases (IF ~31.0)
The Lancet ID is the highest-impact dedicated infectious disease journal. It publishes large clinical trials, vaccine efficacy studies, global disease burden analyses, and surveillance data with policy implications. The journal wants papers relevant beyond the ID specialist community, with public health and global reach.
Acceptance rate: ~5-7%. APC: None. Review time: 4-8 weeks. Scope: Clinical trials, vaccine trials, global ID epidemiology, AMR, emerging infections.
2. Nature Microbiology (IF ~20)
Nature Microbiology covers microbiology broadly, including bacteriology, virology, mycology, and parasitology. For ID papers with a strong mechanistic or biological component, Nature Microbiology is the top venue. The journal wants papers that reveal new principles of microbial biology, host-pathogen interaction, or antimicrobial resistance mechanisms.
Acceptance rate: ~7-8%. APC: None (hybrid OA). Review time: 6-10 weeks. Scope: Microbial biology, host-pathogen interactions, AMR mechanisms, virology, mycology.
3. Clinical Microbiology Reviews (IF ~20)
CMR (ASM) publishes thorough reviews of clinical microbiology and infectious disease topics. It's the highest-impact review journal in ID/microbiology and a standard reference for clinicians and researchers. If you're writing a review rather than primary research, CMR is the gold standard.
Acceptance rate: Primarily invited, ~15% for unsolicited. APC: None. Review time: 6-12 weeks. Scope: Reviews of clinical microbiology, ID diagnostics, pathogen biology.
Strong tier (IF 5-15)
These journals publish excellent ID research that advances clinical practice, epidemiological understanding, or microbiological knowledge.
4. Clinical Infectious Diseases (IF ~8)
CID is the flagship journal of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). It's the most widely read clinical ID journal in North America and publishes clinical trials, observational studies, IDSA guidelines, and case series. CID is where practicing ID physicians look for evidence to guide their clinical decisions.
Acceptance rate: ~12-15%. APC: None (hybrid OA). Review time: 4-6 weeks. Scope: Clinical ID, IDSA guidelines, treatment trials, AMR, transplant ID, HIV.
5. Journal of Infectious Diseases (IF ~5)
JID (IDSA) is CID's companion journal, publishing more translational and basic ID research. While CID focuses on clinical practice, JID publishes pathogenesis studies, immunology of infection, and antimicrobial pharmacology. If your paper is too mechanistic for CID but too clinical for Nature Microbiology, JID fills that gap.
Acceptance rate: ~15-20%. APC: None (hybrid OA). Review time: 4-8 weeks. Scope: Translational ID, pathogenesis, immunology of infection, antimicrobial pharmacology.
6. Emerging Infectious Diseases (IF ~7)
EID (CDC) is the premier journal for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. It publishes surveillance reports, outbreak investigations, and research on novel pathogens. EID is particularly valued by public health professionals and epidemiologists. The journal has extremely fast turnaround for time-sensitive outbreak reports.
Acceptance rate: ~20%. APC: None (government-funded). Review time: 2-4 weeks for expedited, 6-8 weeks standard. Scope: Emerging pathogens, outbreak investigation, surveillance, zoonoses.
7. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (IF ~5)
JAC is the leading journal specifically for antimicrobial research: pharmacokinetics, resistance mechanisms, clinical trials of antimicrobials, and antimicrobial stewardship. If your paper is primarily about antibiotics, antifungals, or antivirals, JAC's specialized readership is the right audience.
Acceptance rate: ~20%. APC: None (hybrid OA). Review time: 4-8 weeks. Scope: Antimicrobial therapy, PK/PD, AMR, stewardship, clinical antimicrobial trials.
8. mBio (IF ~5)
mBio (ASM) is a broad-scope, open-access microbiology journal publishing across all areas of microbiology and infectious disease. It provides open-access visibility with ASM's editorial standards. For ID papers with a strong microbiology component that need open-access reach, mBio is a practical choice.
Acceptance rate: ~15-20%. APC: $3,000-$4,500. Review time: 4-8 weeks. Scope: All microbiology, ID, open access.
9. Eurosurveillance (IF ~9)
Eurosurveillance is Europe's journal for infectious disease surveillance and epidemiology. It publishes rapid communications during outbreaks, surveillance reports, and epidemiological analyses. The journal is free, open-access, and extremely fast for time-sensitive content.
Acceptance rate: ~20-25%. APC: None (ECDC-funded). Review time: 1-3 weeks for rapid, 6-8 weeks standard. Scope: ID surveillance, European epidemiology, outbreak reports.
Accessible tier (IF 2-5)
These journals publish solid ID research at attainable thresholds.
10. Open Forum Infectious Diseases (IF ~4)
OFID is CID's open-access companion journal from IDSA. It publishes clinical ID research that meets good methodological standards but may not reach CID's impact threshold. Staying in the IDSA family provides visibility at IDWeek and among IDSA members.
Acceptance rate: ~25-30%. APC: $2,500. Review time: 4-6 weeks. Scope: Clinical ID, open access, IDSA family.
11. BMC Infectious Diseases (IF ~3)
BMC ID is a large, open-access journal covering all ID topics. It values methodological soundness over novelty, making it accessible for well-designed studies that don't claim to be practice-changing. The journal provides fast publication and global OA reach.
Acceptance rate: ~35%. APC: $2,490. Review time: 4-8 weeks. Scope: All ID, open access, broad scope.
12. International Journal of Infectious Diseases (IF ~4)
IJID is the journal of the International Society for Infectious Diseases. It publishes clinical and epidemiological ID research with an international, often low- and middle-income country perspective. For ID research from resource-limited settings, IJID reaches the most relevant audience.
Acceptance rate: ~25%. APC: $2,300. Review time: 4-8 weeks. Scope: Global ID, LMIC-focused research, tropical infections, emerging infections.
Decision framework
If your paper is a large clinical trial of an antimicrobial or vaccine, start with The Lancet Infectious Diseases. CID is the backup for clinical trials. NEJM and The Lancet publish the largest ID trials.
If your paper reveals a new pathogen mechanism or host-pathogen interaction, Nature Microbiology is the top target. JID and mBio are strong alternatives.
If your paper is AMR-focused, JAC is the specialty home for antimicrobial research. Lancet ID publishes major AMR policy papers. CID covers clinical AMR.
If your paper is about an outbreak or emerging pathogen, EID (CDC) and Eurosurveillance provide the fastest publication. Both are free to publish and offer immediate OA.
If your paper is about HIV, Lancet HIV (IF ~12) is the dedicated HIV journal. CID and JID also publish HIV research. AIDS (IF ~4) is the specialty alternative.
If your paper is about tropical or neglected infections, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases (IF ~4) is the standard venue. IJID also covers tropical ID with an LMIC focus.
If you need fast publication during an outbreak, EID and Eurosurveillance both offer expedited review (1-3 weeks). PLOS Medicine and BMJ also fast-track outbreak-related papers.
Common mistakes ID researchers make when choosing journals
Submitting microbiology to clinical journals. CID wants clinical data. If your paper is about resistance genes in environmental bacteria without a clinical angle, try Nature Microbiology, mBio, or Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy instead.
Ignoring pathogen-specific journals. Journal of Virology (ASM), Journal of Clinical Microbiology (ASM), and Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ASM) all serve specific ID niches. Your paper might get better review from pathogen specialists.
Not using outbreak fast-track pathways. During active outbreaks, many journals offer expedited review. EID, Eurosurveillance, NEJM, and The Lancet all have rapid communication tracks. Don't wait 3 months for a standard review on time-sensitive data.
Confusing clinical ID with public health. A population-level study on vaccine coverage isn't clinical ID. It's public health. PLOS Medicine, BMJ Global Health, or The Lancet Public Health might be better fits than CID or Lancet ID.
Underestimating Emerging Infectious Diseases. EID's IF (~7) understates its influence. The journal is read by CDC, WHO, and public health agencies worldwide. A paper in EID reaches decision-makers that clinical journals don't.
How to use this list
Impact factor is one signal, not the whole picture. The journals ranked above vary in scope, editorial culture, and what they consider a strong submission. The right journal for your paper depends on how your study sits within the field's research agenda, not just on which title has the highest number next to it.
A paper with solid methodology and honest conclusions that doesn't quite reach the novelty bar of the top-ranked journals will fare better at the second or third tier than a round of rejections from journals above its weight class. Start with an honest assessment of where your work sits, not where you wish it sat.
Before targeting any journal on this list, verify the current author guidelines directly. Word limits, submission system requirements, and scope boundaries change. The rankings above reflect 2024 JCR data and current editorial positioning, but journals evolve.
Get your manuscript ready
Before submitting to any infectious disease journal, run your manuscript through a free Manusights scan to check formatting, reference accuracy, and reporting standards. ID papers with epidemiological data, microbiology results, and clinical outcomes often have complex tables and figures that benefit from a pre-submission quality check.
Sources
Reference library
Use the core publishing datasets alongside this guide
This article answers one part of the publishing decision. The reference library covers the recurring questions that usually come next: how selective journals are, how long review takes, and what the submission requirements look like across journals.
Dataset / reference guide
Peer Review Timelines by Journal
Reference-grade journal timeline data that authors, labs, and writing centers can cite when discussing realistic review timing.
Dataset / benchmark
Biomedical Journal Acceptance Rates
A field-organized acceptance-rate guide that works as a neutral benchmark when authors are deciding how selective to target.
Reference table
Journal Submission Specs
A high-utility submission table covering word limits, figure caps, reference limits, and formatting expectations.
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