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Pathogens
Special Issues
Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases in Wild Animals
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Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases in Wild Animals

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 November 2025 | Viewed by 813

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Daniel de Aguiar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Virology and Rickettsiosis, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso State, 2367 Fernando Correa Avenue, Cuiabá 78043-605, MT, Brazil
Interests: ehrlichiosis; canine morbillivirus; equine infectious anemia virus; infectious diseases; equine arboviruses
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Joares Adenilson May Júnior

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departament of Biological Science and Health, Centro Universitário Univinte, 500 Avenida Nilton Augusto Sachetti, Capivari de Baixo 88745000, SC, Brazil
Interests: conservation; wildlife; felidae; canidae; ecology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Wildlife conservation is a prominent demand worldwide. Against this trend, the increasingly promiscuous maintenance of domestic and wild animal species and their increasing contacts caused mainly by sharing the same space, as well as their close relationship with humans—often in poor sanitary conditions—are aggravating public health problems. In fact, this situation favors the emergence of different infectious diseases that can cause dangerous outbreaks and can even lead to health disasters for animals or humans. In this context, epidemiological studies of infectious diseases are essential for public health, since monitoring these diseases helps to prevent outbreaks and protect the human/animal population, which are important for the conservation of species and ecosystems. Finally, understanding the dynamics of diseases in wild populations can reveal how ecological interactions influence transmission and virulence, aiding in the development of appropriate management strategies. These studies, therefore, are fundamental to promoting ecosystem health, protecting public health, and ensuring the sustainability of human activities that depend on wildlife.

Dr. Daniel de Aguiar
Dr. Joares Adenilson May Júnior
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

  • bacterial
  • protozoal
  • viral
  • transmission
  • diagnostic

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 3529 KiB  
Communication
Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in Wild European and American Mink (Mustela lutreola and Neogale vison) from Spain
by María Eugenia Lebrero, José Villora, María Asunción Gómez, Madis Podra, María del Carmen Aranda, Sergio Villanueva-Saz, Antonio Fernández, Patricia Lizarraga, Pablo Quilez, Álex Gómez and Diana Marteles
Pathogens 2025, 14(5), 427; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14050427 - 28 Apr 2025
Viewed by 99
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis, caused by the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii, affects a wide range of warm-blooded animals, including humans. Domestic and wild felines serve as definitive hosts, excreting oocysts that contaminate the environment. Intermediate hosts, such as the endangered European mink (Mustela lutreola [...] Read more.
Toxoplasmosis, caused by the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii, affects a wide range of warm-blooded animals, including humans. Domestic and wild felines serve as definitive hosts, excreting oocysts that contaminate the environment. Intermediate hosts, such as the endangered European mink (Mustela lutreola) and the non-native American mink (Neogale vison), can become infected primarily through the ingestion of tissue cysts present in prey, while the ingestion of oocysts from contaminated soil or water plays a secondary role. This study analyzed the seroprevalence of T. gondii in 179 mink specimens (137 American mink and 42 European mink) collected in northern Spain from 2014 to 2020. Using an optimized indirect immunofluorescence assay, antibodies against T. gondii were detected in 47 samples (37 American mink and 10 European mink). Seroprevalence was higher in the Ebro basin than in the Cantabrian region, although the difference was not statistically significant. No significant associations were observed between seropositivity and species, sex, or habitat. These findings suggest environmental contamination by T. gondii oocysts in northern Spain and underscore the potential value of invasive American mink as sentinel species for monitoring public health risks associated with this parasite. The study also highlights the importance of wildlife surveillance in assessing environmental contamination and understanding transmission dynamics of infectious diseases in ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases in Wild Animals)
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14 pages, 1103 KiB  
Article
One Health Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 in Non-Human Primates and Small Mammals in Minas Gerais, Brazil
by Pedro Augusto Almeida-Souza, Thamires Gabriele Macedo Silva, Gabriele Barbosa Penha, Thaynara de Jesus Teixeira, Ramon Oliveira-Silva, Iago Alves Celestino, Maria Eduarda Gonçalves-dos-Santos, Cirilo Henrique de Oliveira, Alice dos Santos Nunes Ferreira, Emerson Márcio Gusmão, Vinícius de Oliveira Ottone, Danilo Simonini-Teixeira, Fabrício Souza Campos, Paulo Michel Roehe, Leonardo Camilo de Oliveira, Mauro Martins Teixeira, Filipe Vieira Santos de Abreu and Danilo Bretas de Oliveira
Pathogens 2025, 14(4), 356; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14040356 - 6 Apr 2025
Viewed by 763
Abstract
Although the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic primarily affected the human population, the virus has also been detected in various animal species worldwide, raising concerns about its potential to establish new animal reservoirs. This study aimed to investigate the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in non-human primates (NHPs) [...] Read more.
Although the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic primarily affected the human population, the virus has also been detected in various animal species worldwide, raising concerns about its potential to establish new animal reservoirs. This study aimed to investigate the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in non-human primates (NHPs) and synanthropic small mammals (SSMs) in the Jequitinhonha Valley and Northern Minas Gerais, Brazil. Between October 2021 and October 2023, 119 animals were sampled, 82 NHPs and 37 SSMs, across 22 municipalities. A total of 342 biological samples—including oral and nasal swabs, lungs, livers, spleens, blood, and feces—were collected and analyzed using RT-qPCR, while 37 serum samples were submitted to neutralization tests. Despite the diversity of sampled species, habitats, and biological materials, no evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection or specific antibodies was detected in any of the individuals tested. The results suggest that NHPs and SSMs in these regions did not act as reservoirs for SARS-CoV-2 during the study period. This finding is particularly relevant given the high synanthropy of species such as Callithrix penicillata (black-tufted marmoset) and Rattus rattus (black rat), which frequently interact with human populations. Our study underscores the importance of integrating animal, human, and environmental health perspectives under a One Health framework to monitor emerging zoonotic threats. By providing baseline data on SARS-CoV-2 dynamics in wildlife, we emphasize the need for ongoing ecological and epidemiological surveillance to assess potential spillover events and their implications for biodiversity and public health in Brazil. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases in Wild Animals)
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