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Animals
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Hidden Carriers: Cryptic Pathogens in Wildlife and Livestock
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Hidden Carriers: Cryptic Pathogens in Wildlife and Livestock

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 2520

Special Issue Editor

Dr. João R. Mesquita

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Abel Salazar Biomedical Institute of Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
2. EPIUnit—Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
Interests: transmissible diseases; zoonosis; epidemiology; infectious diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cryptic pathogens in wildlife and livestock pose significant challenges due to their covert nature and the difficulty of detecting them. These hidden pathogens can maintain a low-profile existence within host populations, often without causing noticeable symptoms, thereby enabling them to spread silently and widely. Research on cryptic pathogens is critical in understanding the dynamics of disease transmission across different species barriers. This involves genomic studies to identify pathogen strains and ecological investigations to assess how environmental factors influence their spread. The insights gained could lead to more effective disease-control strategies, reducing the risk of outbreaks in both animal populations and humans. This interdisciplinary approach highlights the complex interplay among pathogen biology, host diversity, and ecosystem health.

For this Special Issue, we invite original research papers and reviews addressing the stealthy and often-overlooked world of cryptic pathogens in wildlife and domestic animals. We welcome studies that explore the molecular and ecological aspects of these pathogens, their interactions with hosts, and their impacts on animal health and disease dynamics. Contributions may include genomic investigations to trace pathogen evolution, ecological research on how environmental changes influence pathogen spread, and innovative diagnostic techniques for their detection. Additionally, we welcome papers discussing the implications of these pathogens for public health and strategies for managing their risks in animal populations.

Dr. João R. Mesquita
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

  • zoonosis
  • epidemiology
  • infectious diseases
  • reservoirs
  • cryptic pathogens

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

7 pages, 626 KiB  
Article
Francisella tularensis in Wild Lagomorphs in Southern Spain’s Mediterranean Ecosystems
by Sabrina Castro-Scholten, Ignacio García-Bocanegra, Salvador Rejón-Segura, David Cano-Terriza, Débora Jiménez-Martín, Carlos Rouco, Leonor Camacho-Sillero, Antonio Arenas and Javier Caballero-Gómez
Animals 2024, 14(23), 3376; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14233376 - 23 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1068
Abstract
Francisella tularensis is a vector-borne zoonotic bacterium that causes tularemia, a disease of great importance for animal and public health. Although wild lagomorphs are considered one of the major reservoirs of this bacterium, information about the circulation of F. tularensis in European wild [...] Read more.
Francisella tularensis is a vector-borne zoonotic bacterium that causes tularemia, a disease of great importance for animal and public health. Although wild lagomorphs are considered one of the major reservoirs of this bacterium, information about the circulation of F. tularensis in European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis) populations in Europe is still very limited. In Spain, F. tularensis is present in northern central regions, with recurrent outbreaks occurring annually. However, southern Spain has been neglected in terms of monitoring and research. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of F. tularensis in wild lagomorphs in the Mediterranean ecosystems of southern Spain through using molecular techniques. Spleen samples from 774 European wild rabbits and 178 Iberian hares were collected on 135 hunting grounds between the 2017/2018 and 2022/2023 hunting seasons. A primer set targeting the 16S rRNA gene was used for the detection of F. tularensis DNA. None of the 952 (0.0%; 95%CI: 0.0–0.4) wild lagomorphs sampled showed presence of F. tularensis DNA. Our finding indicates the absence or very low circulation of the bacterium in wild rabbit and Iberian hare populations in the Mediterranean ecosystems of southern Spain, denoting a limited risk of transmission of this pathogen from wild lagomorphs to other sympatric species, including human beings, in this Iberian region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hidden Carriers: Cryptic Pathogens in Wildlife and Livestock)
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13 pages, 1488 KiB  
Article
Molecular Screening and Characterization of Enteric Protozoan Parasites and Microsporidia in Wild Ducks from Portugal
by Sara Gomes-Gonçalves, David Rodrigues, Nuno Santos, Nausicaa Gantois, Magali Chabé, Eric Viscogliosi and João R. Mesquita
Animals 2024, 14(20), 2956; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14202956 - 14 Oct 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1069
Abstract
Enteric parasites pose significant threats to both human and veterinary health, ranking among the top causes of mortality worldwide. Wild migratory waterfowl, such as ducks, may serve as hosts and vectors for these parasites, facilitating their transmission across ecosystems. This study conducted a [...] Read more.
Enteric parasites pose significant threats to both human and veterinary health, ranking among the top causes of mortality worldwide. Wild migratory waterfowl, such as ducks, may serve as hosts and vectors for these parasites, facilitating their transmission across ecosystems. This study conducted a molecular screening of enteric parasites in three species of wild ducks of the genus Anas (A. acuta, A. platyrhynchos and A. crecca) from Portugal, targeting Blastocystis sp., Balantioides coli, Cryptosporidium spp., Encephalitozoon spp., and Enterocytozoon bieneusi. Fecal samples from 71 ducks were analyzed using PCR and sequencing techniques. The results revealed a 2.82% occurrence of Blastocystis sp. subtype 7 and Cryptosporidium baileyi, marking the first molecular detection of these pathogens in wild ducks in Portugal. While previous studies have documented these parasites in Anas spp. in other regions, this study contributes novel data specific to the Portuguese context. No evidence of Balantioides coli, Encephalitozoon spp. or Enterocytozoon bieneusi was found. These findings highlight the potential role of migratory ducks as vectors for zoonotic protozoa, emphasizing the need for enhanced surveillance of avian populations to mitigate cross-species transmission risks. Further research is warranted to understand the global public health implications associated with migratory waterfowl. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hidden Carriers: Cryptic Pathogens in Wildlife and Livestock)
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