Porcine/Farm Animal Respiratory Pathogens: Pathogenesis, Diagnostics and Antimicrobial Resistance

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 880

Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Porcine Health Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Interests: veterinary pathology; swine health management; African swine fever; infectious diseases; veterinary

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Guest Editor
Laboratory of Animal Molecular Virology, Swine and Poultry Infectious Diseases Research Center (CRIPA) and Research Group on Infectious Diseases in Production Animals (GREMIP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Montreal, Saint-Hyacinthe Campus, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada
Interests: porcine viruses; coronaviruses; influenza virus; vaccines; PEDV; PRRSV; mink viruses; antivirals; zoonotic viruses; emerging and re-emerging viral diseases
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Respiratory diseases remain among the most significant health and economic challenges in modern pig and farm animal production systems. A complex interplay between viral, bacterial, and environmental factors drives the emergence, persistence, and re-emergence of respiratory pathogens, often resulting in multifactorial disease syndromes. In recent decades, intensive farming practices, global animal movements, and evolving production systems have further facilitated the spread, genetic diversification, and adaptation of pathogens such as PRRSV, influenza A virus, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, Pasteurella multocida, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, and numerous opportunistic agents.

At the same time, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses an escalating threat to both animal health and public health, complicating treatment strategies and emphasizing the need for prudent antimicrobial use. Advances in molecular diagnostics, on-farm surveillance tools, immunopathology, and pathogen genomics now offer unprecedented opportunities to understand disease mechanisms, refine diagnostic accuracy, and guide targeted interventions.

This Special Issue aims to gather high-quality research and reviews that deepen our understanding of pathogenesis, improve diagnostic workflows, and explore emerging strategies to monitor and mitigate AMR in porcine and farm-animal respiratory pathogens. By integrating insights from pathology, microbiology, epidemiology, and precision livestock technologies, we hope to contribute to evidence-based solutions for healthier herds and more sustainable production systems.

Dr. Andrei Ungur
Dr. Levon Abrahamyan
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • porcine respiratory pathogens
  • pathogenesis
  • diagnostic methods
  • antimicrobial resistance
  • swine health management
  • respiratory disease complex
  • farm animal pathogens
  • surveillance and molecular epidemiology
  • one health

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 944 KB  
Article
Epidemiological Analysis of Environmental Factors Affecting Porcine Pleuropneumonia in a Herd Endemic for Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae
by Iulia Barna, Ion Tașca, Adriana-Iuliana Toader and Andrei Ungur
Pathogens 2026, 15(5), 513; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens15050513 - 11 May 2026
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Abstract
Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP) is the bacterial agent associated with porcine pleuropneumonia, a severe respiratory disease with significant economic impact due to increased mortality and elevated therapeutic costs, whose progression may be exacerbated by environmental factors. This study evaluates the impact of climatic factors, [...] Read more.
Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP) is the bacterial agent associated with porcine pleuropneumonia, a severe respiratory disease with significant economic impact due to increased mortality and elevated therapeutic costs, whose progression may be exacerbated by environmental factors. This study evaluates the impact of climatic factors, particularly temperature and relative humidity, on mortality in finishing pigs during the fattening phase within a herd with endemic porcine pleuropneumonia. Data were collected from a commercial swine farm between January 2021 and December 2024, including records of local climatic conditions (daily average temperature and relative humidity) and pig mortality rates. Statistical analysis revealed a positive correlation between periods of elevated temperature or humidity and increased mortality associated with respiratory diseases, suggesting that climatic stress contributes to higher mortality in this herd with endemic APP. Full article
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