Neglected Zoonotic Diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa

Dear Colleagues,

Focus: This Special Issue focuses on neglected zoonotic diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa. Zoonosis is an infectious disease that can spread directly from an animal to a human being or indirectly through food, water, soil, ticks, mosquitoes, and other vectors. Neglected zoonotic diseases (NZDs) affect millions of livestock producers and people living in rural and peri-urban areas in Sub-Saharan Africa, and they are frequently linked to poverty. It is challenging to determine the morbidity and mortality associated with NZDs because many of these diseases are underreported and underestimated due to their difficulty to diagnose, and they commonly occur in underdeveloped countries and areas without proper medical or veterinary care or surveillance. NZDs have proven particularly challenging to prevent and control, and they continue to put additional strain on public health systems and thwart initiatives to enhance and increase livestock exports and production. We can anticipate increased interactions between domestic animals, wildlife, and human populations as they grow worldwide. Additionally, the era of emerging and reemerging zoonoses will also undoubtedly grow in tandem with climate change. As the number of NZDs rises and their effects on society and health amplify, a paradigm shift for managing this class of diseases needs to be developed. These NZDs can no longer be seen as isolated agricultural crises unrelated to public health authorities and initiatives. Instead, integrated approaches that span species boundaries and health communities must always be advanced and taken action in order to prevent and control NZDs.

Scope: This Special Issue calls for original papers that feature relevant original research, communications and commentaries/perspectives, and case reports by authors that align their work in NZDs, from the priority list published in the following article: C. Di Bari, N. Venkateswaran, C. Fastl, S. Gabriël, D. Grace, A. H. Havelaar, et al. The global burden of neglected zoonotic diseases: Current state of evidence. One Health 2023 Vol. 17 Pages 100595. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100595.

The related topics are rabies, brucellosis, influenza A (h5n1 and h1n1), anthrax, bovine tuberculosis, Rift Valley fever, non-typhoidal salmonellosis, Ebola, leptospirosis, Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever, plague, yellow fever, alveola/cystic echinococcosis, human African trypanosomiasis, Lassa fever, Marburg virus disease, cystercercosis/taeniasis, Q fever, toxoplasmosis, campylobacteriosis, glanders, leishmaniasis, West Nile disease, and food-borne trematodes. This list is not exclusive.

The submitted articles should cover NZD topics/areas such as disease burden and epidemiology in order to better understand and control NZDs. Interesting case reports and outbreak identification, as well as analyses of public health surveillance and biosurveillance that contribute to new knowledge, are all welcome, as are new improved diagnostic methods to support surveillance capacity. Modeling, inference, and prediction findings from research surveys and health economics studies, and cost-benefit analysis and policy, are highly valued. Review papers, however, will not be considered unless they include a meta-analysis. Evaluations of surveillance systems, pathogenesis, immunology, and basic case reports will not be taken into consideration, with the exception of research on vaccine development. Diagnostic instruments, prevention, and control at the foundational level will not be accepted.

Purpose: In order to lessen the burden of NZDs worldwide, scientists and researchers are encouraged to contribute to the understanding and advancement of current knowledge and practice, which is the purpose of this Special Issue. Critical research and policy support are lacking for NZDs, and separate approaches to public and animal health surveillance, diagnostics, interventions, training, program delivery, and health planning still persist. The World Health Organization (WHO) road map for neglected tropical diseases from 2021 to 2030 states that an integrated One Health focus and strategy would lead to more NZDs being prevented and/or treated in more cost-effective ways, improving and saving lives for both people and animals. It would also present a new opportunity to help alleviate poverty and achieve the key 2030 targets for control.

Dr. Veerle Dermaux Msimang
Dr. Kovashnee Naidoo
Guest Editors

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• zoonoses
• neglected tropical diseases
• vector-borne diseases
• arboviruses
• emerging and re-emerging diseases
• biosecurity in livestock production
• contamination
• climate change
• One Health
• Africa