Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.2
3.0
Journals
Animals
Special Issues
Pathogenesis, Diagnosis and Treatment of Viral Zoonotic Infections in Pigs
share announcement

Pathogenesis, Diagnosis and Treatment of Viral Zoonotic Infections in Pigs

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Pigs".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2024) | Viewed by 2479

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Ashwin Ramesh

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Houston, Houston, TX, USA
Interests: pathogenesis; diagnosis; host immune responses; molecular epidemiology; zoonotic infections
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The pig is a domestic animal that serves as a source of meat protein in our diet and acts as an important animal model in research studies. The intensification of pig production substantially has transformed traditional husbandry practices, and this may also impose the risk of becoming infected with zoonotic diseases. Pigs can facilitate reassortment or act as an intermediate and amplifying host for many viruses including influenza virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, Nipah, hepatitis E virus, coronavirus, novel porcine coronaviruses, etc. The pathogenic potency of the viruses enhances once they cause infection in pigs, which increases the risk of animal to human transmission.

Moreover, viruses such as Menangle virus and Bungowannah virus are known to infect pigs while posing a crucial zoonotic threat to humans. Understanding the emergence of these lesser known and studied viruses would allow greater vigilance among the scientific community to occur in preparation against future potential pandemics. This Special Issue aims to expand on the knowledge gaps in understanding the transmission, pathogenic potential, importance of early diagnosis, and development of effective interventions against zoonotic infections in pigs.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Pathogens.

Dr. Ashwin Ramesh
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • pathogenesis
  • diagnosis
  • host immune responses
  • molecular epidemiology
  • zoonotic infections

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

11 pages, 284 KiB  
Article
Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) in Heavy Pigs in Slaughterhouses of Northern Italy: Investigation of Seroprevalence, Viraemia, and Faecal Shedding
by Marina Monini, Ilaria Di Bartolo, Luca De Sabato, Giovanni Ianiro, Francesca Agostinelli and Fabio Ostanello
Animals 2023, 13(18), 2942; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13182942 - 16 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1076
Abstract
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is considered an emerging threat in Europe, owing to the increased number of human cases and the widespread presence of the virus in pigs at farms. Most cases in industrialized countries are caused by the zoonotic HEV-3 genotype. The [...] Read more.
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is considered an emerging threat in Europe, owing to the increased number of human cases and the widespread presence of the virus in pigs at farms. Most cases in industrialized countries are caused by the zoonotic HEV-3 genotype. The main transmission route of HEV-3 in Europe is foodborne, through consumption of raw or undercooked liver pork and wild boar meat. Pigs become susceptible to HEV infection after the loss of maternal immunity, and the majority of adult pigs test positive for IgG anti-HEV antibodies. Nonetheless, HEV-infected pigs in terms of liver, faeces, and rarely blood are identified at slaughterhouses. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of HEV-positive batches of Italian heavy pigs at slaughterhouses, assessing the presence of animals still shedding HEV upon their arrival at the slaughterhouse by sampling faeces collected from the floor of the trucks used for their transport. The occurrence of viraemic animals and the seroprevalence of anti-HEV antibodies were also assessed. The results obtained indicated the presence of anti-HEV IgM (1.9%), and a high seroprevalence of anti-HEV total antibodies (IgG, IgM, IgA; 89.2%, n = 260). HEV RNA was not detected in either plasma or faecal samples. Nevertheless, seropositive animals were identified in all eight batches investigated, confirming the widespread exposure of pigs to HEV at both individual and farm levels. Future studies are needed to assess the factors associated with the risk of HEV presence on farms, with the aim to prevent virus introduction and spread within farms, thereby eliminating the risk at slaughterhouse. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogenesis, Diagnosis and Treatment of Viral Zoonotic Infections in Pigs)

Review

Jump to: Research

30 pages, 546 KiB  
Review
An Update in Knowledge of Pigs as the Source of Zoonotic Pathogens
by Agata Augustyniak and Małgorzata Pomorska-Mól
Animals 2023, 13(20), 3281; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13203281 - 20 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1162
Abstract
The available data indicate that the human world population will constantly grow in the subsequent decades. This constant increase in the number of people on the Earth will lead to growth in food demand, especially in food of high nutritional value. Therefore, it [...] Read more.
The available data indicate that the human world population will constantly grow in the subsequent decades. This constant increase in the number of people on the Earth will lead to growth in food demand, especially in food of high nutritional value. Therefore, it is expected that the world livestock population will also increase. Such a phenomenon enhances the risk of transmitting pathogens to humans. As pig production is one of the most significant branches of the world’s livestock production, zoonoses of porcine origins seem to be of particular importance. Therefore, in this review, we aim to introduce the latest data concerning, among other things, epidemiology and available preventive measures to control the most significant porcine zoonoses of viral, bacterial, and parasitic origin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogenesis, Diagnosis and Treatment of Viral Zoonotic Infections in Pigs)
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop