Microbial Infections in Ruminants

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Veterinary Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 609

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Mănăștur Str. 3–5, 400372 Cluj, Romania
Interests: microbial infections; ruminants; zoonosis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ruminants, particularly domestic ones, play a vital role in global agriculture, contributing to meat, milk, and fiber production. However, microbial infections continue to affect productivity and welfare across various production systems. These microbial infections (bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa) can lead to severe economic losses and, in some cases, pose zoonotic risks to human health.

This Special Issue focuses on microbial infections in ruminants, with an emphasis on their epidemiology, transmission, and control. We welcome contributions on innovative diagnostic methods, antimicrobial resistance, host–pathogen interactions, and prevention strategies such as vaccination and biosecurity. Studies providing insights into the management of microbial infections in both domestic and wild ruminants are highly encouraged.

We invite you to submit original research, case studies, or reviews that advance knowledge and promote sustainable ruminant health management.

Dr. Adrian-Valentin Potârniche
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • ruminant livestock
  • wild ruminants
  • microbial infections
  • epidemiology
  • prevention
  • pathogenesis
  • bacteria
  • viruses
  • diagnostic
  • zoonosis

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 7982 KB  
Article
RNA Sequencing of Immune Response-Related Gene Expression Characteristics in Bovine Mammary Glands Infected with Escherichia coli
by Kai Zhang, Yuanyuan Zhang, Hong Su, Min Zhang, Feifei Zhao, Daqing Wang, Guifang Cao, Yong Zhang and Caiyun Wang
Microorganisms 2025, 13(10), 2226; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13102226 - 23 Sep 2025
Viewed by 150
Abstract
Bovine mastitis is one of the most prevalent and economically significant diseases affecting dairy cows worldwide, with Escherichia coli (E. coli) recognized as one of the principal pathogens causing acute mastitis. The innate immune system plays a crucial role in the [...] Read more.
Bovine mastitis is one of the most prevalent and economically significant diseases affecting dairy cows worldwide, with Escherichia coli (E. coli) recognized as one of the principal pathogens causing acute mastitis. The innate immune system plays a crucial role in the defense of the bovine mammary gland, serving as the first line of defense against pathogen invasion. This study elucidated the pathological mechanisms and immune response-related molecular regulatory networks involved in E. coli-induced bovine mastitis. Histopathological and apoptosis analyses of mammary tissues were performed using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and TUNEL staining, respectively, while RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was conducted to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and their associated signaling pathways. HE staining revealed typical inflammatory lesions in the mammary glands of mastitis cows. TUNEL staining further confirmed that the level of apoptosis in the mastitis group was significantly higher than in the healthy control group (p < 0.0001). RNA-seq analysis identified 2717 DEGs, with 2238 upregulated and 479 downregulated genes. The top 20 significantly upregulated genes (e.g., S100A12, IL1RN, IL1R2, CXCL8, SAA3, S100A8, S100A9, TREML2, TREM1, M-SAA3.2, PTX3, MMP9) were predominantly involved in inflammatory immune regulation, acute phase responses (e.g., HP, SAA3), and cellular signal transduction (e.g., PLEK, LPAR3). Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis revealed that these DEGs were mainly associated with biological processes, such as signal transduction, immune response, inflammatory response, and transcriptional regulation. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis indicated that these DEGs were significantly enriched in key inflammatory and immune regulatory pathways, including the TNF signaling pathway, C-type lectin receptor signaling pathway, Chemokine signaling pathway, NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, NF-κ B signaling pathway, and IL-17 signaling pathway, suggesting that these pathways play central roles in the mammary immune defense against E. coli infection. In conclusion, this study demonstrated at the histopathological, cellular apoptosis, and transcriptomic levels that E. coli infection induces mammary tissue damage and apoptosis by activating immune and inflammation-related genes (S100A12, IL1RN, IL1R2, CXCL8, SAA3, S100A8, S100A9, TREML2, TREM1, M-SAA3.2, PTX3, MMP9) and key signaling pathways (TNF signaling pathway, C-type lectin receptor signaling pathway, Chemokine signaling pathway, NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, NF-κ B signaling pathway, IL-17 signaling pathway). The findings of this study provide a theoretical basis for probing into the pathogenesis of bovine mastitis and the development of targeted interventions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Infections in Ruminants)
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