ijms-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Molecular Research on Zoonotic Diseases: Current Advances and Perspectives

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 September 2026 | Viewed by 1721

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Risk Assessment Center on Food Chain, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
Interests: animal viruses; zoonoses; virology, molecular biology; viral genetics; risk assessment; vaccines

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Emerging infectious diseases are a significant and growing threat to public health, the global economy and security. According to WHO, about 60% of emerging infectious diseases reported worldwide are zoonoses, with millions of infections and deaths. There has been an increase in these infections in recent decades, probably due to climate change and changing habitats of vectors, human population growth and urbanization, trade and travel, cross-border mass movement of people due to military conflicts in some areas, etc. The trend in these zoonoses is that new animal pathogens, especially viruses, remain unpredictable and continue to emerge and spread around the world. They represent a global health problem due to their epidemic potential, high mortality rates and the lack of available specific treatments and vaccines to control the spread of most of them. As countries become increasingly interconnected, emerging zoonoses in one country can potentially pose a threat to global health security. Therefore, they can have a devastating impact with serious economic consequences for countries through loss of trade, tourism and consumer confidence. We have all recently witnessed the major impact of the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).

This special issue aims to provide up-to-date research and articles focused on the molecular biology techniques, as restriction fragment length polymorphism, hybridization, PCR, gel electrophoresis, whole-genome sequencing and etc. This methods become indispensable tools in epidemiologic investigations of infectious diseases. Molecular epidemiology of diseases at the interface of humans, animals, and the environment are an important part of the identification of emerging risk infectious diseases of zoonotic origin.

Prof. Dr. Gabriela Goujgoulova
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 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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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

  • emerging zoonoses
  • re-emerging zoonoses
  • zoonotic pathogens
  • control strategies and measures
  • animal and public health
  • worldwide

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.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

16 pages, 1452 KB  
Article
Molecular Characterization of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 Viruses Circulating in Bulgaria During 2024–2025: Evidence for Hidden Circulation and Zoonotic Risk Markers
by Gabriela Goujgoulova, Georgi Stoimenov and Koycho Koev
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(4), 1711; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27041711 - 10 Feb 2026
Viewed by 559
Abstract
The highly pathogenic avian influenza virus HPAI A(H5N1) genotype AF was detected in southern Europe during the 2021/2022 season and spread widely. It emerged in Bulgaria in 2022/2023, mainly affecting mallard ducks. The DA genotype of the virus was detected in a diverse [...] Read more.
The highly pathogenic avian influenza virus HPAI A(H5N1) genotype AF was detected in southern Europe during the 2021/2022 season and spread widely. It emerged in Bulgaria in 2022/2023, mainly affecting mallard ducks. The DA genotype of the virus was detected in a diverse group of birds, including wild birds, zoo birds, and domestic poultry, across a wide area of eastern and southern Europe in 2023. In Bulgaria, following its introduction in 2023, the DA genotype became the predominant virus in laying hens. During 2024–2025, DA spread throughout the country, displacing AF from mallard flocks. The predominant subtype in Europe in 2025 was H5N1 genotype DI.2. This genotype became dominant after December 2024, accounting for over 90% of viruses within the EA-2024-DI genotype lineage, and has been detected in a wide range of bird species. In Bulgaria, DI.2 was identified in only one outbreak in a flock of laying hens in autumn 2024 and in a single case involving a western marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus) in early 2025. These observations are consistent with a pattern of putative hidden circulation of avian influenza virus in duck farms in Bulgaria, potentially establishing a cycle of continuous circulation of the same viral subtype. In this study, we analysed viruses originating from Bulgaria, with a particular focus on EA-2024-DI genotype DI.2, and examined mutations related to host cell receptor binding, host specificity shifts, ligand binding, antibody recognition sites, viral oligomerization interfaces, and other functional regions. Some of these mutations have been associated with antigenic drift, immune escape, and virulence. Importantly, several are linked to changes in host specificity, a critical step in the potential transition of avian influenza viruses to humans. Consequently, such mutations represent key factors in the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza and may pose a pandemic risk. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 1282 KB  
Article
From Bacterial Diversity to Zoonotic Risk: Characterization of Snake-Associated Salmonella Isolated in Poland with a Focus on Rare O-Ag of LPS, Antimicrobial Resistance and Survival in Human Serum
by Michał Małaszczuk, Aleksandra Pawlak, Stanisław Bury, Aleksandra Kolanek, Klaudia Błach, Bartłomiej Zając, Anna Wzorek, Gabriela Cieniuch-Speruda, Agnieszka Korzeniowska-Kowal, Andrzej Gamian and Gabriela Bugla-Płoskońska
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(24), 12018; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262412018 - 13 Dec 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 804
Abstract
The One Health approach emphasizes the importance of zoonoses due to their pandemic potential, highlighting the need to characterize emerging bacterial pathogens across animal reservoirs. Non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) species are among the most common zoonotic agents and can be transmitted by various reservoirs, [...] Read more.
The One Health approach emphasizes the importance of zoonoses due to their pandemic potential, highlighting the need to characterize emerging bacterial pathogens across animal reservoirs. Non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) species are among the most common zoonotic agents and can be transmitted by various reservoirs, including reptiles. Both direct and indirect contact with reptiles may result in Reptile-Associated Salmonellosis (RAS), which mainly affects children, immunocompromised individuals, pregnant women, and the elderly. This study aimed to isolate and characterize the Gram-negative intestinal microbiota from free-living snakes in Poland (Natrix natrix, Natrix tessellata, Coronella austriaca, Zamenis longissimus, and Elaphe dione) and to determine the prevalence and virulence potential of Salmonella. Using MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry, 432 isolates were identified. Serological analysis of 62 Salmonella isolates revealed 10 distinct O-antigen groups, and rare serovars O:38, O:48, O:57 and others were confirmed. Salmonella isolates were tested for antibiotic susceptibility and resistance to Human Serum; most isolates survived exposure to serum while remaining susceptible to antibiotics. One isolate was classified as multidrug-resistant (MDR), showing resistance to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, ampicillin, cefuroxime, cephalexin, tigecycline, and fosfomycin. These findings demonstrate that wild snakes in Poland can act as reservoirs of pathogenic and zoonotic Salmonella, emphasizing their epidemiological significance in natural ecosystems. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop