Advances in Animal Vector-Borne Diseases

Dear Colleagues,

Animal vector-borne diseases represent a major threat to both domestic animals and wildlife, with significant implications for animal health, biodiversity, and public health. Climate change, together with intensified human activities such as agriculture, global trade, and transportation, is facilitating the expansion of vectors and the pathogens that they transmit into new geographic regions. In addition to the spread of well-known agents, recent years have witnessed the emergence of new vectors in Europe, such as the invasive Aedes albopictus mosquito and Hyalomma ticks, as well as the introduction or re-emergence of pathogens including West Nile virus, Bluetongue virus, and Leishmania infantum. These developments further complicate the epidemiological landscape. This not only increases the burden on animal populations but also increases the risk for humans, as many animal vector-borne pathogens are zoonotic, with domestic and wild animals serving as important spill over hosts, reservoir hosts and/or amplifiers.

Beyond their health impact, animal vector-borne diseases have substantial economic consequences. They reduce livestock productivity through decreased growth, fertility, and milk or meat yield, while also causing mortality and the need for costly veterinary interventions. Outbreaks can disrupt trade, limit market access, and increase expenditures for surveillance and control programs, placing long-term financial burdens on farmers and national economies alike.

Wildlife populations are also heavily affected, as vector-borne pathogens can reduce survival, alter population dynamics, and contribute to declines in vulnerable or endangered species. For example, tick-borne encephalitis virus and babesiosis have been associated with declines in certain wild ungulates, while avian malaria has severely impacted bird populations in some regions. These infections may shift predator–prey relationships and disrupt ecological balance, with cascading effects on entire ecosystems. Moreover, wildlife can also act as spillover hosts, reservoirs, and/or amplifiers of infection, further complicating disease control at the human–animal–environment interface, such as with leptospirosis.

The occurrence and spread of vector-borne diseases in nature depend on complex and dynamic interplay between pathogens, vectors, and animal hosts, further influenced by ecological and environmental changes. Understanding these interactions is crucial for developing effective surveillance, prevention, and control strategies to mitigate their impacts on animal health, human well-being, biodiversity, and economic stability.

Dr. Ana Vasic
Dr. Luanda Elena Oslobanu
Guest Editors

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• animal vector-borne diseases
• vector-borne pathogens
• vectors
• domestic animals
• wildlife
• transmission cycle
• epidemiology