The persistent surge in viral infections worldwide poses a significant and growing challenge. Effectively managing the impact of viral outbreaks on public health requires a thorough understanding of the underlying pathogens. One of the current demographics most at risk is children under the age of five. In the Asia-Pacific region, a major cause for concern is hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), and is mostly the result of enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) infection. Sadly, there are currently no treatment options against EV-A71 infection available on the market. In this thesis, I will investigate the poorly understood EV-A71 cellular tropism and the influence of EV-A71 on the host-cell metabolic processes with the end purpose of facilitating the design of potent antiviral compounds against EV-A71 infection, using multidisciplinary approaches. [...]