Infectious Diseases and Immune Responses in Aquatic Animals
A special issue of Fishes (ISSN 2410-3888). This special issue belongs to the section "Welfare, Health and Disease".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 5
Special Issue Editors
Interests: aquatic animals; gene editing; selective and genetic breeding; innate immune regulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The Special Issue, “Infectious Diseases and Immune Responses in Aquatic Animals”, aims to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date platform for advancing our understanding of host–pathogen interactions in aquatic species. Its focus encompasses viral, bacterial, parasitic, and fungal infections affecting fish, crustaceans, and other economically and ecologically important aquatic organisms. Emphasis is placed on the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie innate and adaptive immune responses, including emerging areas such as host–microbiota interactions, immune metabolism, epigenetic regulation, and the environmental modulation of disease susceptibility. Contributions employing cutting-edge approaches—such as single-cell omics, high-resolution imaging, and functional genomics—are particularly encouraged. The purpose of this Special Issue is to bridge fundamental immunology with applied aquaculture health management, fostering integrative insights that can inform disease prevention and control strategies. Within the existing literature, studies of aquatic immunology have expanded rapidly but remain fragmented across pathogens and species, and in terms of their methodological frameworks. This Issue seeks to consolidate these advances, highlight cross-species conservation and the divergence of immune pathways, and identify critical knowledge gaps. By integrating mechanistic discoveries with translational perspectives, the Special Issue will serve as a timely reference for researchers aiming to enhance aquatic animal health and promote sustainable aquaculture.
Dr. Shuting Xiong
Dr. Pengfei Chu
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. Fishes 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 2600 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
- host–pathogen interactions
- innate immunity
- adaptive immunity
- immune regulation
- inflammation
- aquatic animal health
- infectious diseases
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
