Molecular Mechanisms and Ecological Interventions in Zoonotic Pathogens

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 895

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Public Health, College of Veterinary Medicine & Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, Shandong Agricultural University, 61 Daizong Street, Tai'an City 271018, China
Interests: zoonotic bacterial diseases; host–pathogen interactions; immune evasion; live bacterium vector-based vaccines
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Interests: tuberculosis; pathology; innate immune response; gut; microbiota

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Veterinary Medicine & Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, Shandong Agricultural University, 61 Daizong Street, Tai'an City 271018, China
Interests: air transmission; viruses; immune responses; interventions

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Zoonotic pathogens, which are transmitted between animals and humans, pose significant threats to global health. Research in this field is focused on unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying pathogen emergence, transmission, and host adaptation. Key areas include exploring viral/bacterial genomics to identify virulence factors, host–pathogen interactions (e.g., receptor binding and immune evasion), and the evolutionary dynamics driving cross-species spillover. Additionally, ecological interventions are designed to disrupt transmission cycles by targeting reservoir hosts, vectors, and environmental drivers. Current studies are exploring wildlife surveillance, habitat management, and One Health strategies incorporating human, animal, and environmental health data. By bridging molecular insights and ecological solutions, researchers hope to mitigate zoonotic threats through early detection, targeted vaccines/therapeutics, and sustainable ecosystem-based interventions. Collaborative, interdisciplinary efforts are critical in addressing the complex interplay among biological, environmental, and anthropogenic factors in zoonotic disease emergence. This Special Issue will highlight the complexity of zoonotic spillover, bridging molecular biology, ecology, and public health. It will advocate for One Health strategies to preempt outbreaks through integrated research and policy.

Dr. Fangkun Wang
Dr. Ruichao Yue
Dr. Ning Li
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. Pathogens 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 2200 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

  • zoonotic diseases
  • veterinary public health
  • foodborne
  • ecology diseases
  • pathogenesis
  • host–pathogen interactions
  • genomics
  • evolution
  • diagnosis
  • treatment
  • vaccine

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 (1 paper)

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

Research

9 pages, 973 KiB  
Article
Detection and Characterization of Paslahepevirus balayani (Hepatitis E Virus) in Dairy Products from Hebei Province, China
by Xinyue Hu, Jinfeng Wang, Yinuo Wang, Wanzhe Yuan, Jianchang Wang and Xiangdong Xu
Pathogens 2025, 14(6), 564; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14060564 - 5 Jun 2025
Viewed by 470
Abstract
Paslahepevirus balayani (hepatitis E virus), a zoonotic pathogen transmitted primarily via the fecal–oral route, has undergone shifting transmission dynamics in China, with foodborne and zoonotic routes becoming increasingly significant. To assess the potential risk of HEV transmission through dairy products, this study investigated [...] Read more.
Paslahepevirus balayani (hepatitis E virus), a zoonotic pathogen transmitted primarily via the fecal–oral route, has undergone shifting transmission dynamics in China, with foodborne and zoonotic routes becoming increasingly significant. To assess the potential risk of HEV transmission through dairy products, this study investigated HEV RNA presence in raw milk from cows, sheep, and goats in Hebei Province, China. From March 2024 to April 2025, we collected 102 cow milk, 18 sheep milk, and 59 goat milk samples, analyzing them using RT-qPCR, with positive samples confirmed by RT-Nested PCR and partial ORF2 sequencing. While no HEV RNA was detected in cow milk, 3/18 (16.67%) sheep milk and 1/59 (1.69%) goat milk samples tested positive. Phylogenetic analysis of two sheep-derived and one goat-derived HEV isolate showed 99.43–100% nucleotide identity to local swine HEV strains (HEV/HB-SJZ158/CHN/2021 and HEV/HB-CD28/CHN/2021), all clustering within genotype 4d, the dominant subtype in the region. This study provided the first evidence of HEV RNA in sheep and goat milk in Hebei Province, suggesting possible cross-species transmission from pigs to ruminants. These findings highlighted the need for further research on HEV transmission risks through dairy products and emphasize the importance of monitoring zoonotic HEV strains in food safety assessments. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop