Wildlife Health and Disease: Implications for Animal Welfare and Conservation
A special issue of Veterinary Sciences (ISSN 2306-7381).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 June 2026 | Viewed by 37
Special Issue Editor
Interests: pathologies of wildlife; wildlife welfare; conservational medicine; one health; environmental health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The health of wildlife is integral to the balance of ecosystems and biodiversity. As wildlife faces escalating threats from diseases, environmental pollutants, and genetic vulnerabilities, it is crucial to explore the dynamics that influence their health. This Special Issue, “Wildlife Health and Disease: Implications for Animal Welfare and Conservation”, seeks to showcase cutting-edge research that highlights the intersection of wildlife disease, animal welfare, and conservation science. We invite contributions that explore the following topics:
- Emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and their spillover dynamics at the wildlife–livestock–human interface;
- Antimicrobial resistance in wildlife and its implications for One Health;
- The impact of environmental pollutants (e.g., pesticides, heavy metals, micro- and nanoplastics) on wildlife physiology and health;
- Effects of climate change, habitat loss, and human–wildlife conflict on disease susceptibility and population resilience;
- Advances in diagnostics, monitoring, and surveillance tools (eDNA, genomics, remote sensing) for wildlife health assessment;
- The role of conservation medicine and evidence-based management strategies to mitigate disease risks and improve animal welfare;
- Ethical, policy, and community-engagement approaches that enhance conservation outcomes.
By emphasizing the implications of wildlife health on both animal welfare and ecosystem sustainability, this issue aims to foster an integrated understanding of the complex drivers of wildlife health in a rapidly changing world. Researchers, conservationists, biologists, veterinarians, policy specialists, and other experts are encouraged to submit work that inspires innovative solutions for sustainable wildlife management, disease prevention, and biodiversity conservation.
Dr. Bárbara Martín-Maldonado
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
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
- wildlife health
- emerging infectious diseases
- conservation strategies
- animal welfare
- antimicrobial resistance
- pollutants
- climate change
- habitat fragmentation
- ecosystem sustainability
- One Health
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