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Veterinary Sciences
Special Issues
Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases in Small Ruminants
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Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases in Small Ruminants

A special issue of Veterinary Sciences (ISSN 2306-7381). This special issue belongs to the section "Veterinary Microbiology, Parasitology and Immunology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 February 2026) | Viewed by 3466

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Wenliang Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
2. Key Laboratory for Veterinary Bio-Product Engineering, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Nanjing 210014, China
Interests: ruminant; infectious diseases; emerging virus; diagnosis; epidemiology; pathogenesis; innate immunity; virus–host interaction; vaccine; bacteria; virus; mycoplasma
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Li Mao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
2. Key Laboratory for Veterinary Bio-Product Engineering, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Nanjing 210014, China
Interests: small ruminant; infectious diseases; emerging virus; diagnosis; epidemiology; pathogenesis; vaccine; bacteria; virus; mycoplasma; parasite
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Zhentao Cheng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Interests: ruminant; infectious diseases; diagnosis; epidemiology; pathogenesis; vaccine; virus; bacteria; mycoplasma
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The small ruminant industry plays an important role in many countries in Africa, Asia, Australia, and parts of Europe. However, the health and productivity of these animals are increasingly being threatened by a wide range of infectious diseases. Notable examples include Pasteurella infections, clostridial diseases, contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP), foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), sheep and goat pox, contagious ecthyma, peste des petits ruminants (PPR), and bluetongue. Moreover, pathogens such as Brucella spp., Salmonella spp., Rift Valley fever virus, and Echinococcus spp. present significant risks to both animal and human health.

This Special Issue, “Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases in Small Ruminants”, will enhance our understanding of clinical important pathogens, facilitate the development of innovative prevention and control strategies, and ultimately reduce economic losses. We will focus on the most recent progress in pathogenesis, interactions with host proteins, epidemiology, diagnosis, and novel vaccines in relation to important pathogens, from a One Health perspective. Pathogen types of interest include, but are not limited to, bacteria and viruses. We invite you to submit your most recent research findings and/or insights (original research articles and reviews) for consideration for this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Wenliang Li
Dr. Li Mao
Prof. Dr. Zhentao Cheng
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. Veterinary Sciences 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 2100 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.

Keywords

  • emerging and re-emerging
  • aetiology and epidemiology
  • pathogenesis
  • diagnosis
  • novel vaccines
  • One Health

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 2578 KB  
Article
Identification and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae Isolates from China During 2024–2025
by Zilong Cheng, Leilei Yang, Yanna Wei, Wenwen Zhang, Yuzi Wu, Maojun Liu, Fusheng Si, Chunhua Li, Zhixin Feng and Wenliang Li
Vet. Sci. 2026, 13(3), 229; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci13030229 - 27 Feb 2026
Viewed by 866
Abstract
Respiratory diseases induced by Mycoplasma species, mainly Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae (Mccp) and Mycoplasma ovipneumonia (Mo), pose a major threat to goat/sheep farming. This study investigated the biological characteristics and antimicrobial susceptibility of Mccp isolates that suddenly spread extensively in China in the [...] Read more.
Respiratory diseases induced by Mycoplasma species, mainly Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae (Mccp) and Mycoplasma ovipneumonia (Mo), pose a major threat to goat/sheep farming. This study investigated the biological characteristics and antimicrobial susceptibility of Mccp isolates that suddenly spread extensively in China in the first half of 2024. A total of 34 Mccp isolates were obtained from goats with suspected contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) across multiple provinces during 2024–2025. All isolates were purified and confirmed via a PCR targeting the arcD gene and exhibited characteristic “fried egg” colony morphology. Phylogenetic analysis based on the arcD gene and multi-locus sequence analysis (MLSA) of eight genetic loci revealed that the circulating strains shared high homology and belonged to Group 1 within Lineage 1, which showed a close genetic relationship with isolates from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, while differing from previously reported strains in China. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing against nine antimicrobial drugs indicated that the Mccp isolates generally exhibited low resistance levels. However, some strains showed reduced susceptibility to florfenicol and lincomycin. These findings highlight the emergence of a genetically distinct Mccp lineage in China and underscore the importance of ongoing surveillance, strain characterization, and prudent antimicrobial use in CCPP control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases in Small Ruminants)
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16 pages, 3198 KB  
Article
Genomic Characterization of a Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae Strain from Hu Sheep in Inner Mongolia, China
by Lingli Dai, Na Wang, Fan Zhang, Yuemei Zhang, Yue Song, Wei Liu, Xiaodong Cao, Jingyu Shi, Shihua Zhao and Fan Bai
Vet. Sci. 2026, 13(1), 79; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci13010079 - 13 Jan 2026
Viewed by 673
Abstract
Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae poses a major threat to sheep respiratory health, contributing to significant economic losses in farming communities. In this study, we isolated a novel strain, IM-DMQ, from a Hu sheep in Inner Mongolia that exhibited pulmonary adenomatous-like lesions, which is an uncommon [...] Read more.
Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae poses a major threat to sheep respiratory health, contributing to significant economic losses in farming communities. In this study, we isolated a novel strain, IM-DMQ, from a Hu sheep in Inner Mongolia that exhibited pulmonary adenomatous-like lesions, which is an uncommon pathological manifestation for this pathogen. The complete genome was sequenced using a hybrid Nanopore and Illumina approach, revealing a 1,039,804 bp circular chromosome with a GC content of 29.15%, encoding 1529 genes. Functional annotation highlighted genes involved in essential metabolic processes and potential virulence mechanisms. Comparative genomic analysis demonstrated that IM-DMQ shares the closest ancestry (ANI: 98.3%) with the Chinese strain NXNK2203, while structural variations and 14 unique genes distinguished it from other global strains. Furthermore, microbial community profiling of the original lung tissue revealed a co-infection background involving multiple bacterial pathogens, offering an etiological context for the severe disease presentation. These results provide the first complete genomic resource for an M. ovipneumoniae strain from Inner Mongolia associated with unusual pulmonary pathology, offering insights into its genetic diversity and supporting the future development of targeted diagnostics and vaccines for regional disease control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases in Small Ruminants)
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Other

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11 pages, 2056 KB  
Case Report
High-Mortality Outbreak of Staphylococcus aureus Mastitis Associated with Poor Milking Practices in a Goat Dairy
by Fauna L. Smith, Frances Fan, Sarah Woods-Cuneo and Sarah Depenbrock
Vet. Sci. 2026, 13(2), 203; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci13020203 - 20 Feb 2026
Viewed by 1063
Abstract
An outbreak of mastitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus occurred in a commercial dairy goat herd during kidding season, resulting in fatal gangrenous mastitis in approximately 30% of the herd. S. aureus was recovered from milk, mammary tissue, and other organs in does subjected [...] Read more.
An outbreak of mastitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus occurred in a commercial dairy goat herd during kidding season, resulting in fatal gangrenous mastitis in approximately 30% of the herd. S. aureus was recovered from milk, mammary tissue, and other organs in does subjected to necropsy. The S. aureus milk culture-positive rate among does in the hospital pen was 58.3%, while whole-herd milk cultures of clinically normal mature does identified S. aureus in 15.0% with an additional 15.0% positive for coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS), yielding a total culture-positive rate of 30.0%. The prevalence of CNS in subclinical animals was consistent with previous reports from U.S. dairy goats; in contrast, S. aureus isolation rates substantially exceeded previously reported prevalences. Poor milking hygiene and milking machine dysfunction were identified as major factors contributing to the spread of the S. aureus from goat to goat. California Mastitis Test (CMT) scores were significantly higher in culture-positive does compared with culture-negative animals (p < 0.05), demonstrating the value of CMT as a practical on-farm tool for early treatment decision making. Interventions focused on addressing milking hygiene and milking machine maintenance, as well as segregation and vaccination of replacement females. S. aureus dropped to undetectable in the next two kidding seasons, whereas the CNS culture rates remained unchanged, suggesting other factors may be contributing to CNS infection. This case highlights the role of subclinical intramammary infection and milking practice factors in transmission and control of contagious mastitis pathogens like S. aureus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases in Small Ruminants)
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10 pages, 3617 KB  
Brief Report
Rapid Detection of Peste Des Petits Ruminants via Multienzyme Isothermal and Lateral Flow Dipstick Combination Assay Based on N Gene
by Jiamin Zhou, Jiao Xu, Jiani Li, Jiarong Yu, Yingli Wang and Jingyue Bao
Vet. Sci. 2026, 13(1), 110; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci13010110 - 22 Jan 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 399
Abstract
In this study, a multienzyme isothermal and lateral flow dipstick combination assay for PPRV detection was established, the designed primers and probes targeting the N gene were screened and optimized, and analytical sensitivity, specificity, and repeatability of developed method were systematically evaluated. The [...] Read more.
In this study, a multienzyme isothermal and lateral flow dipstick combination assay for PPRV detection was established, the designed primers and probes targeting the N gene were screened and optimized, and analytical sensitivity, specificity, and repeatability of developed method were systematically evaluated. The experimental results demonstrated that this method is easy to operate, can complete detection within 30 min at 42 °C, and is capable of detecting all lineages of peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) without cross-reactivity with other viruses. The limit of detection could reach 10 copies/μL. Repeatability validation showed that the coefficients of variation (CV) for both intra-assay and inter-assay experiments were below 3.0%. The positive detection rate for clinical samples could reach 100%. The test results are visually interpretable via fluorescence and lateral flow strips. In conclusion, this method exhibits high analytical sensitivity, specificity, and excellent repeatability, enabling rapid diagnosis of peste des petits ruminants (PPR). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases in Small Ruminants)
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