From Gastroenteritis to Emerging Threats: One Health Surveillance of Viral Infections

Dear Colleagues,

Viral gastroenteritis and other fecal-borne diseases represent a critical challenge at the nexus of human, animal, and environmental health. These diseases, caused by a diverse range of viruses, are characterized by symptoms such as diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, and fever, and they impact both humans and a wide variety of animal species. Beyond gastroenteritis-causing agents such as rotavirus, norovirus, adenovirus, and astrovirus, other fecal-borne viruses, including hepatitis A and E, as well as SARS-CoV-2, have been documented to spread via fecal matter, adding layers of complexity to transmission dynamics and public health responses.

Transmission occurs predominantly through the fecal–oral route, either directly or indirectly, via contaminated water, food, or surfaces. Recent findings have highlighted the increasing frequency of interspecies transmission, where viruses cross species barriers, moving from animals to humans, among animal species, or even from humans to animals. These events underscore the urgent need for a One Health approach to understand and mitigate risks, addressing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.

This Special Issue on "From Gastroenteritis to Emerging Threats: One Health Surveillance of Viral Infections" invites the submission of manuscripts focusing on various aspects of cross-species viral dynamics, including epidemiology, diagnosis, host–virus interactions, molecular epidemiology, pathogenesis, immunology, treatment, and prevention. Topics of interest include but are not limited to the following:

• Interspecies transmission dynamics of enteric and fecal-borne viruses;
• Surveillance and molecular epidemiology of viruses such as rotavirus, norovirus, hepatitis A and E, and SARS-CoV-2;
• The role of potential animal reservoirs in viral dissemination;
• Emergence and evolution of foodborne and waterborne viral pathogens;
• The environmental impact of fecal-borne viruses on public health.;
• Advances in prevention, treatment, and mitigation strategies;
• Pathology and pathogenesis of viral gastroenteritis in humans and animals, both domestic and wildlife.

We strongly encourage submissions that embrace the One Health paradigm, fostering collaboration across the fields of human health, animal health, environmental science, and food safety.

Together, we can deepen our understanding of viral fecal-borne diseases and advance global health and security through interdisciplinary research and innovation.

We look forward to receiving your contributions to this Special Issue.

Dr. Adriana Luchs
Dr. Natalia Coelho Couto de Azevedo Fernandes
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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.

• viral gastroenteritis
• pathology of viral infections
• fecal-borne diseases
• one Health
• interspecies transmission
• molecular epidemiology
• zoonotic viruses
• environmental surveillance
• foodborne and waterborne pathogen