Reactome (reactome.org) is a manually curated, peer-reviewed, open-source, open-access pathway knowledgebase of essential human cellular functions. Reactome includes viral life cycles that capture a broad range of virus-induced human pathology. Here, we describe a workflow using collaborative curation strategies, orthoinference procedures, and literature triage to rapidly create reliable molecular models of emergent viruses. The resulting pathway data set rigorously details viral infection pathways, interactions with normal human biological processes, and potential therapeutic compounds.