In this paper, we have reviewed reports presenting the role of Bcl-xL in infections caused by different viral pathogens: hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), influenza A virus (IAV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human T-lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1), Maraba virus (MRBV), Schmallenberg virus (SBV) and coronavirus (CoV). The gene discussed is BCL2L1; the disease is infection.