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Animals
Special Issues
Zoonotic Diseases: Etiology, Diagnosis, Surveillance and Epidemiology: Second Edition
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Zoonotic Diseases: Etiology, Diagnosis, Surveillance and Epidemiology: Second Edition

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal System and Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 1495

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ana Cristina Ferreira

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinary Research (INIAV IP), Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
2. BioISI-Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
3. I-MVET-Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lusófona University, University Centre of Lisbon, 1749-024 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: animal health; bacterial comparative genomics; brucellosis; diagnosis; genetic diversity; molecular epidemiology; One Health; phylogenomic; veterinary microbiology; zoonoses
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Sandra Cavaco

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinary Research (INIAV IP), Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
Interests: One Health; animal health; zoonotic diseases; brucellosis; tuberculosis; veterinary microbiology; diagnosis; bacterial comparative genomics; molecular epidemiology; phylogenomic
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Zoonotic diseases have diverse etiologies, with various pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi, capable of causing infections in both animals and humans. Approximately 60% of emerging infectious diseases reported across the world are zoonoses, making their control a priority. Efficient multisectoral surveillance and accurate and timely diagnoses are essential for controlling zoonotic diseases and reducing their impact. Advanced diagnostic tools, including next-generation sequencing, are increasingly being employed to enhance the precision and speed of zoonotic disease diagnosis and epidemiology. Intersectoral surveillance involves monitoring both animal and human populations, as well as environments, to identify potential threats and patterns of transmission. Understanding the epidemiology of zoonotic diseases involves studying the patterns, causes, and effects of these diseases within populations. Addressing the challenges posed by zoonotic diseases requires a multidisciplinary approach that spans human, animal, and environmental health. Etiological insights, accurate diagnostic tools, robust integrated surveillance systems, and a thorough understanding of epidemiological patterns are all essential components of effective prevention and control strategies for zoonotic diseases.

This Special Issue aims to advance knowledge regarding the etiology, diagnosis, surveillance, and epidemiology of zoonotic diseases in both domestic and wild animals. Its focus is on fostering a deeper understanding of these aspects to inform effective prevention and control strategies.

We invite researchers to submit original research papers and reviews that cover, but are not limited to, the topics listed below.

Etiology of zoonotic diseases:

  • The identification and characterization of zoonotic pathogens.
  • Molecular mechanisms underlying cross-species transmission.
  • An investigation of reservoir hosts and intermediate hosts.

Diagnostic tools and techniques:

  • Advancements in diagnostic methods for zoonotic diseases.
  • The application of next-generation sequencing in enhancing diagnostic precision.
  • Case studies on successful diagnostic approaches.

Surveillance systems:

  • The development of robust surveillance strategies for monitoring animal and human populations.
  • The integration of technology and data analytics in surveillance.
  • A comparative analyses of surveillance systems across regions.

Epidemiological patterns:

  • Studies on the patterns, causes, and effects of zoonotic diseases within populations.
  • The modeling and analysis of epidemiological trends.
  • The impact of environmental factors on disease dynamics.

Dr. Ana Cristina Ferreira
Dr. Sandra Cavaco
Guest Editors

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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

  • animal health
  • diagnostic
  • epidemiology
  • One Health
  • surveillance
  • zoonotic diseases

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 878 KB  
Article
Serological Evidence of Flavivirus Exposure and Limited Avian Influenza Exposure in Urban House Martins from Southwestern Spain
by Irene Hernandez-Caballero, Luz García-Longoria, Carlos Mora-Rubio, Sergio Magallanes, João T. Cruz, Alazne Díez-Fernández, Wendy Flores-Saavedra and Alfonso Marzal
Animals 2026, 16(6), 913; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16060913 - 13 Mar 2026
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Abstract
Zoonotic diseases account for approximately one billion cases of illness and millions of deaths globally each year. Increasing contact between humans and competent wildlife hosts elevates the risk of zoonotic spillover. Synanthropic bird species are key players in the transmission of zoonotic pathogens, [...] Read more.
Zoonotic diseases account for approximately one billion cases of illness and millions of deaths globally each year. Increasing contact between humans and competent wildlife hosts elevates the risk of zoonotic spillover. Synanthropic bird species are key players in the transmission of zoonotic pathogens, including flaviviruses such as West Nile virus (WNV) and influenza A viruses like Avian Influenza Virus (AIV). Active surveillance of sentinel birds inhabiting urban areas allows for early detection of emerging pathogens before they cause zoonotic outbreaks. Despite nesting in close proximity to humans, the role of the house martin (Delichon urbicum) in the circulation of flaviviruses and AIV remains poorly understood. Here, we analyzed the presence of antibodies against flaviviruses and AIV in a colony of house martins from southwestern Spain. In addition, we aimed to detect amplicons of the matrix and nucleoprotein genes of AIV using RT-qPCR. While none of the samples tested positive for AIV by RT-qPCR, we observed an AIV seroprevalence of 2.13% based on non-subtyped ELISA. Notably, this is the first report of AIV-seropositive D. urbicum individuals captured in Spain. Moreover, we detected a flavivirus-group seroprevalence of 24.34%, similar to rates reported in the same house martin population between 2018 and 2020, suggesting widespread circulation of flaviviruses within this synanthropic species. These results support the hypothesis that house martins may participate in the transmission of these viruses between wild bird populations and humans in urban environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Zoonotic Diseases: Etiology, Diagnosis, Surveillance and Epidemiology: Second Edition)
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30 pages, 8192 KB  
Article
Structural Insights into the Receptor-Binding Domain of Bat Coronavirus HKU5-CoV-2: Implications for Zoonotic Transmission via ACE2
by Manal A. Babaker, Nariman Sindi, Othman Yahya Alyahyawy, Ehssan Moglad, Mohieldin Elsayid, Thamir M. Eid, Mohamed Eltaib Elmobark and Hisham N. Altayb
Animals 2026, 16(2), 237; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16020237 - 13 Jan 2026
Viewed by 605
Abstract
The zoonotic potential of bat coronaviruses, especially HKU5, is a significant issue because of their capacity to utilize human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as a receptor for cellular entry. This study offers structural insights into the binding kinetics of HKU5 (Bat Merbecovirus HKU5) [...] Read more.
The zoonotic potential of bat coronaviruses, especially HKU5, is a significant issue because of their capacity to utilize human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as a receptor for cellular entry. This study offers structural insights into the binding kinetics of HKU5 (Bat Merbecovirus HKU5) receptor-binding domain (RBD) spike protein with human ACE2 through a multiscale computational method. This study employed structural modeling, 300-nanosecond (ns) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, alanine-scanning mutagenesis, and computational peptide design to investigate ACE2 recognition by the HKU5 RBD and its interactions with peptides. The root mean square deviation (RMSD) investigation of HKU5–ACE2 complexes indicated that HKU5 exhibited greater flexibility than SARS-CoV-2, with RMSD values reaching a maximum of 1.2 nm. Free energy analysis, Molecular Mechanics/Generalized Born Surface Area (MM/GBSA), indicated a more robust binding affinity of HKU5 to ACE2 (ΔGTotal = −21.61 kcal/mol) in contrast to SARS-CoV-2 (ΔGTotal = −5.82 kcal/mol), implying that HKU5 binding with ACE2 had higher efficiency. Additionally, a peptide was designed from the ACE2 interface, resulting in the development of 380 single-site mutants by mutational alterations. The four most promising mutant peptides were selected for 300-nanosecond (ns) MD simulations, subsequently undergoing quantum chemical calculations (DFT) to evaluate their electronic characteristics. MM/GBSA of −37.83 kcal/mol indicated that mutant-1 exhibits the most favorable binding with HKU5, hence potentially inhibiting ACE2 interaction. Mutant-1 formed hydrogen bonds involving Glu74, Ser202, Ser204, and Asn152 residues of HKU5. Finally, QM/MM calculations on the peptide–HKU5 complexes showed the most favorable ΔE_interaction of −170.47 (Hartree) for mutant-1 peptide. These findings offer a thorough comprehension of receptor-binding dynamics and are crucial for evaluating the zoonotic risk associated with HKU5-CoV and guiding the design of receptor-targeted antiviral treatments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Zoonotic Diseases: Etiology, Diagnosis, Surveillance and Epidemiology: Second Edition)
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