Alphaviruses are small positive ssRNA viruses that replicate in the cytoplasm of host cells. Alphaviruses are capable of causing a range of human diseases, including encephalitis (VEE) and severe arthritis (Ross River virus, chikungunya virus). In recent years we have investigated various mechanisms how alphaviruses modulate the type I interferon responses. Understanding how alphaviruses evade or suppress the type I interferon response will significantly expand our knowledge of how these viruses cause disease. In addition, we have also determined viral proteins in nucleolar trafficking. The functional significance of nucleolar shuttling remains unknown, however, it is likely that the nucleolar trafficking of viral proteins plays an important role in viral pathogenesis. These findings will be discussed.