Combating Tropical Envenomation

Dear Colleagues,

Tropical envenomation remains a major neglected public health problem, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where access to rapid diagnosis and effective treatment is limited. Envenomations caused by snakes, scorpions, spiders, marine organisms, and other venomous animals contribute substantially to morbidity and mortality, often leading to long-term disabilities and severe socioeconomic impact. This Special Issue, entitled “Combating Tropical Envenomation”, presents current advances and ongoing challenges in understanding, diagnosing, and treating envenomations.

A deeper knowledge of venom composition and toxin activity is essential to clarify the mechanisms underlying systemic and local damage, including hemorrhage, neurotoxicity, coagulopathy, myonecrosis, nephrotoxicity, and inflammation. In this context, modern venomics and proteomics approaches have become indispensable for comprehensive toxin characterization, quantitative profiling, and the study of venom variability, providing clinically relevant information to support therapeutic development.

Equally important is the implementation of reliable diagnostic strategies to improve clinical decision-making. This Special Issue welcomes studies on clinical assays and diagnostic tools, including immunological methods, molecular platforms, and proteomic-based approaches for venom detection and accurate species identification.

On the other hand, improving antivenoms remains a central priority, as they remain the most effective treatment for many envenomations. Advances in toxin neutralization studies, antibody engineering, and recombinant technologies are driving the development of safer, more potent antivenoms, including monoclonal antibody-based alternatives. Furthermore, alternative therapeutics and adjunct treatments—such as small-molecule inhibitors, enzyme blockers, and anti-inflammatory or anticoagulant strategies—represent promising complementary approaches to reduce tissue damage and improve outcomes.

Overall, this Special Issue emphasizes the need for multidisciplinary research and international collaboration to strengthen venom research, diagnostic capacity, and therapeutic innovation, ultimately reducing the burden of tropical envenomation in developing countries.

Dr. Lina María Preciado Rojo
Guest Editor

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. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 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 2700 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.

• antivenom development and optimization
• venomics
• proteomics
• toxin characterization
• clinical management
• alternative therapeutics
• species identification
• small-molecule inhibitors