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Biology
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Zoonotic Diseases
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Zoonotic Diseases

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Infection Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 4149

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Francesca Mancianti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Interests: parasitic protozoa; zoonotic fungi; Leishmania spp.; Toxoplasma gondii
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Valentina Virginia Ebani

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
2. Interdepartmental Research Center “Nutraceuticals and Food for Health”, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
Interests: zoonosis; arthropod-borne infections; leptospirosis; enteropathogens; antibiotic resistance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Zoonoses are diseases naturally transmitted between vertebrate animals and human beings, either directly (by contact, ingestion, or inhalation) or via fomites or biological vectors, when arthropods are involved. For these reasons, foodborne, airborne, rodent-borne, waterborne, and vector-borne zoonotic diseases are considered in this Special Issue.

The spread of zoonotic agents from animals to human patients is enhanced by alterations in the dynamics among hosts due to increased travels, globalization, illegal international animal trade, global warming, and human presence in remote wild areas, invading biotopes where animals live with their own pathogens. In recent years, several emerging infectious diseases have become a severe threat for human and animal safety, and about 60% of them are zoonotic. Moreover, conventional and emerging zoonotic diseases impacting human health are often misdiagnosed and not treated with a specific therapy.

This Special Issue is devoted to the study of the agents (bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoan and metazoan parasites) responsible for zoonotic diseases, including their taxonomy, biology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and prophylaxis. Original papers and review articles are welcome.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Francesca Mancianti
Dr. Valentina Virginia Ebani
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 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. Biology is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2700 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

  • zoonoses
  • zoonotic agents
  • bacteria
  • viruses
  • fungi
  • protozoa
  • helminths

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review, Other

20 pages, 8218 KiB  
Article
Integrative Transcriptomic Profiling Identifies TNF and IL1B as Candidate Key Early-Response Genes in Macrophages Infected with Smooth Brucella Using a Comprehensive Bioinformatic Approach
by Xiaoyu Yang and Qiang Chen
Biology 2025, 14(5), 579; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14050579 - 21 May 2025
Viewed by 76
Abstract
Smooth Brucella are the main pathogenic bacteria that threaten human health and food safety. The early stage of smooth Brucella and macrophage interaction is an important phase, and smooth Brucella species elicit a dramatic transcriptional response in infected macrophages. However, the key transcriptional [...] Read more.
Smooth Brucella are the main pathogenic bacteria that threaten human health and food safety. The early stage of smooth Brucella and macrophage interaction is an important phase, and smooth Brucella species elicit a dramatic transcriptional response in infected macrophages. However, the key transcriptional events are still obscure. This study aimed to identify key candidate response pathways and genes in macrophages infected with smooth Brucella at the early interaction stage. Three gene expression profiles including GSE21117, GSE5202, and GSE8385 were retrieved from the NCBI GEO database, and were integrated using comprehensive bioinformatics methods including gene set enrichment analysis, differentially expressed gene analysis, protein and protein interaction (PPI) network construction, and transcription factor prediction. The results showed that 16 up-regulated and 22 down-regulated pathways were identified, including six up-regulated immune-related pathways. A total of 41 up-regulated and four down-regulated genes were identified, and a PPI network including 31 nodes and 134 edges was constructed based on the interactive information of 45 dysregulated genes. A highly correlated module comprising 19 nodes and 103 edges was identified based on the topological features of the whole PPI network. Seven centrality analyses revealed that Tnf and Il1b were essential genes in the highly correlated module, and that the two essential genes were simultaneously enriched in eight significantly up-regulated pathways (including two immune-related pathways). Bcl3 was predicted as a transcription factor in the highly correlated module, and may play regulatory roles in the transcription of Tnf and Il1b genes. The present study identified Tnf and IL1b as candidate key response genes in infected macrophages at the early stage of smooth Brucella and macrophage interaction, which contributes to a deeper understanding of the early key transcriptional events in macrophages infected with smooth Brucella species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Zoonotic Diseases)
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12 pages, 547 KiB  
Article
The Presence of Bacterial and Protozoan Pathogens in Wild Fallow Deer (Dama dama) from a Protected Area in Central Italy
by Valentina Virginia Ebani, Paolo Bongi, Chiara Trebino, Fabrizio Bertelloni, Giulia Cagnoli, Benedetta Bigliazzi, Marco Del Frate, Marco Apollonio and Francesca Mancianti
Biology 2025, 14(4), 342; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14040342 - 26 Mar 2025
Viewed by 413
Abstract
Wild ruminants often harbor pathogens transmissible to other animals and humans, but their epidemiological role is not always defined for all microorganisms. In this survey, spleens, kidneys, and hearts sampled from 162 fallow deer (Dama dama) were subjected to molecular analyses [...] Read more.
Wild ruminants often harbor pathogens transmissible to other animals and humans, but their epidemiological role is not always defined for all microorganisms. In this survey, spleens, kidneys, and hearts sampled from 162 fallow deer (Dama dama) were subjected to molecular analyses to detect bacterial (Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., Brucella spp., Chlamydia abortus, Coxiella burnetii, Francisella tularensis, Leptospira spp.) and protozoan (piroplasms, Neospora caninum, Toxoplasma gondii) pathogens. Five (3.08%) spleens were positive for A. phagocytophilum, and twelve (7.40%) spleens were positive for Theileria cervi. The remaining pathogens investigated were not detected, and no coinfections were found. The analyzed animals do not seem to have a relevant role in the spreading of these pathogens; however, monitoring is pivotal to understand the epidemiological scenarios and take appropriate preventive measures in areas frequently visited by people. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Zoonotic Diseases)
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16 pages, 5274 KiB  
Article
Modulatory Effects of the Recombinant Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) Spike S1 Subunit Protein on the Phenotype of Camel Monocyte-Derived Macrophages
by Jamal Hussen, Abdullah I. A. Al-Mubarak, Turke Shawaf, Khulud Bukhari and Khaled R. Alkharsah
Biology 2025, 14(3), 292; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14030292 - 13 Mar 2025
Viewed by 733
Abstract
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is an emerging zoonotic pathogen with different pathogenesis in humans and camels. The mechanisms behind the higher tolerance of camels to MERS-CoV infection are still unknown. Monocytes are innate myeloid cells that are able, depending on the [...] Read more.
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is an emerging zoonotic pathogen with different pathogenesis in humans and camels. The mechanisms behind the higher tolerance of camels to MERS-CoV infection are still unknown. Monocytes are innate myeloid cells that are able, depending on the local stimulation in their microenvironment, to differentiate into different functional subtypes of macrophages with an impact on the adaptive immune response. Several in vitro protocols have been used to induce the differentiation of monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) in human and several veterinary species. Such protocols are not available for camel species. In the present study, monocytes were separated from camel blood and differentiated in vitro in the presence of different stimuli into MDM. Camel MDMs generated in the presence of a combined stimulation of monocytes with LPS and GM-CSF resulted in the development of an M1 macrophages phenotype with increased abundance of the antigen-presentation receptor MHCII molecules and a decreased expression of the scavenger receptor CD163. The expression pattern of the cell markers CD163, CD14, CD172a, CD44, and CD9 on MDM generated in the presence of the MERS-CoV S1 protein revealed similarity with M-CSF-induced MDM, suggesting the potential of the MERS-CoV S1 protein to induce an M2 macrophages phenotype. Similarly to the effect of M-CSF, MERS-CoV-S protein-induced MDMs showed enhanced phagocytosis activity compared to non-polarized or LPS/GM-CSF-polarized MDMs. Collectively, our study represents the first report on the in vitro generation of monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) in camels and the characterization of some phenotypic and functional properties of camel MDM under the effect of M1 and M2 polarizing stimuli. In addition, the results suggest a polarizing effect of the MERS-CoV S1 protein on camel MDMs, developing an M2-like phenotype with enhanced phagocytosis activity. To understand the clinical relevance of these in vitro findings on disease pathogenesis and camel immune response toward MERS-CoV infection, further studies are required. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Zoonotic Diseases)
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12 pages, 736 KiB  
Article
Impacts of Urbanization and Habitat Characteristics on the Human Risk of West Nile Disease in the United States
by Jian Ma, Nuo Xu, Ying Xu, Zheng Y. X. Huang, Chuanwu Chen and Yingying X. G. Wang
Biology 2025, 14(3), 224; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14030224 - 20 Feb 2025
Viewed by 564
Abstract
Since its initial identification in 1999, West Nile virus has spread rapidly throughout North America, exhibiting high spatial heterogeneity. Previous studies exploring the spatial patterns of the human risk of West Nile Disease (WND) in the United States have demonstrated the important roles [...] Read more.
Since its initial identification in 1999, West Nile virus has spread rapidly throughout North America, exhibiting high spatial heterogeneity. Previous studies exploring the spatial patterns of the human risk of West Nile Disease (WND) in the United States have demonstrated the important roles of landscape and climatic factors. However, relatively few studies have endeavored to elucidate the effects of habitat fragmentation on WND risk, though it has been considered to affect disease risk through its influence on host community composition, vector abundance and human–vector–host interactions. In this study, we investigated and compared the effects of landscape factors, with a particular focus on habitat fragmentation, on the human risk of WND in the eastern and western United States. Our results demonstrated that landscape factors exhibited significant relationships with disease risk in both regions, while their effects could vary between the regions. Generally, urbanization was positively correlated with the WND risk in both regions, while the fragmentation indices of developed areas showed negative correlations only in the east. In contrast, forest area positively correlated with WND risk in the west, while a negative relationship was found in the east. The fragmentation indices of natural areas in both regions were generally positively associated with WND risk. These differences may be due to the differences in vector species and related processes (host-related or vector-related) between the two regions. With ongoing environmental change, this study provides new insights into understanding the risk factors for WND in the United States and the effects of habitat fragmentation on animal disease risk. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Zoonotic Diseases)
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Review

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12 pages, 2295 KiB  
Review
A Rare Parasite in Cats: Record of a Linguatula serrata Frölich, 1789 (Porocephalida, Linguatulidae) Nymphal Infestation in a Cat in Albania, with a Synopsis and Review of the Literature on L. serrata Infestation in Cats
by Enstela Vokshi, Martin Knaus and Steffen Rehbein
Biology 2024, 13(12), 1073; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13121073 - 20 Dec 2024
Viewed by 809
Abstract
Linguatula serrata, commonly known as the dogs’ ‘tongue-worm’, is an arthropod endoparasite of the class Pentastomida infesting chiefly canids as definitive hosts and herbivores as intermediate hosts. Adult L. serrata usually reside in the upper respiratory tract, such as the nasal cavity [...] Read more.
Linguatula serrata, commonly known as the dogs’ ‘tongue-worm’, is an arthropod endoparasite of the class Pentastomida infesting chiefly canids as definitive hosts and herbivores as intermediate hosts. Adult L. serrata usually reside in the upper respiratory tract, such as the nasal cavity and sinuses, and the larval stages are encapsulated in various visceral organs, respectively. This report presents the first case of a L. serrata nymphal pulmonary infestation in a cat from Albania and adds to the description of the overall rare cases of this parasitic infestation in domestic cats. Discussion of this case together with a comprehensive review of the literature allows us to conclude that cats are susceptible to the infestation with L. serrata when ingesting the parasite’s eggs and allow for the development of the nymphal stage of the parasite in several visceral organs. Therefore, cats may serve as accidental intermediate hosts in the life cycle of L. serrata but are unlikely to be of epidemiological relevance. There is no evidence that domestic cats can act as definitive hosts of L. serrata. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Zoonotic Diseases)
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Other

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14 pages, 1441 KiB  
Case Report
Ticking Down Sodium Levels—An Atypical Link Between Chronic Hyponatremia and Borreliosis
by Raluca Maria Vlad, Carmen Vasile and Alexandra Mirică
Biology 2025, 14(4), 427; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14040427 - 16 Apr 2025
Viewed by 818
Abstract
Lyme disease (LD), caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, is the most prevalent tick-borne disease in Europe, including Romania, where endemic areas are well documented. It has a wide range of clinical manifestations and severity, including rare neurological complications. Persistent hyponatremia is [...] Read more.
Lyme disease (LD), caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, is the most prevalent tick-borne disease in Europe, including Romania, where endemic areas are well documented. It has a wide range of clinical manifestations and severity, including rare neurological complications. Persistent hyponatremia is an atypical presentation of Lyme neuroborreliosis and can be associated with the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH). SIADH is characterized by unregulated antidiuretic hormone release, leading to impaired water excretion, dilutional hyponatremia, and low serum osmolality. We report the case of a 16-year-old female with clinically well-tolerated, but severe, refractory hyponatremia, who was poorly responsive to intravenous sodium supplementation and fluid management. Complex investigations ruled out multiple causes of hyponatremia; neuroborreliosis was confirmed via positive Borrelia serologies, despite the absence of a suggestive history of exposure. SIADH likely symptomatology resulted from central nervous system inflammation induced by Borrelia, a mechanism rarely documented in the medical literature. Treatment with antibiotics and fluid restriction led to a gradual improvement in fluid balance and sodium homeostasis. This case emphasizes the importance of considering rare infectious causes, such as LD, in patients with unexplained SIADH, especially in endemic areas. It highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in intricate, complex cases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Zoonotic Diseases)
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