Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
3.5
2.3
Journals
Veterinary Sciences
Special Issues
Detection of Parasitic Diseases in Livestock: 2nd Edition
share announcement

Detection of Parasitic Diseases in Livestock: 2nd Edition

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 (15 May 2026) | Viewed by 2106

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Luiz Daniel De Barros

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Av. Sul, Campus Universitário, Lavras 37200-000, MG, Brazil
Interests: neospora caninum; toxoplasma gondii; protozoology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Fernando de Souza Rodrigues

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, Brazil
Interests: livestock; parasitic diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Gustavo Felippelli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Araçatuba 16050-680, SP, Brazil
Interests: antiparasitic chemotherapy; parasitic resistance; endoparasites; helmintology; GIN—gastrintestinal nematodes; ruminants—equines, dogs and cats; Haemonchus contortus; ectoparasites; ticks—Rhipicephalus microplus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Amblyomma sculptum and Dermacentor nitens; flies—horn fly, cattle grub, screwworm fly and stable fly; flea—Ctenocephalides spp.
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Parasitic diseases of livestock are caused by different agents, including ecto- and endoparasites, hemoparasites, and other protozoans. They can cause important economic losses to animal production, and some have zoonotic potential. The detection of parasites in livestock has improved in recent years since laboratory techniques for parasite detection with high sensitivity and specificity have been recently developed.

This Special Issue aims to present papers on detecting parasitic infections in livestock, including molecular, serological, and parasitological detection in different regions worldwide. Furthermore, this Special Issue will highlight the importance of parasitic diseases in different countries, contributing to developing specific control measures.

Prof. Dr. Luiz Daniel De Barros
Dr. Fernando de Souza Rodrigues
Dr. Gustavo Felippelli
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

  • molecular detection
  • serological detection
  • epidemiology

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

10 pages, 477 KB  
Article
Seroprevalence of Neospora caninum Infection in Sheep and Goats in Shanxi Province, North China
by Dong-Yang Wang, Xun-Zhi Liu, Ze-Dong Zhang, Wen Li, Nan Su, Xing-Quan Zhu and Wen-Wei Gao
Vet. Sci. 2026, 13(5), 422; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci13050422 - 26 Apr 2026
Viewed by 282
Abstract
Neospora caninum is an apicomplexan parasite with a broad geographical distribution and a complex life cycle. It can cause infectious abortions in a variety of animals in the major livestock-producing nations, resulting in huge economic losses to the livestock industry. Shanxi Province in [...] Read more.
Neospora caninum is an apicomplexan parasite with a broad geographical distribution and a complex life cycle. It can cause infectious abortions in a variety of animals in the major livestock-producing nations, resulting in huge economic losses to the livestock industry. Shanxi Province in north China is one of China’s important livestock-producing provinces, but the data on the prevalence of N. caninum in sheep and goats in this province was not available prior to the present investigation. To fulfill this gap in our knowledge, serum samples were collected from 504 sheep and 300 goats across 11 cities representing three distinct geographical regions of Shanxi Province. A commercially available indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) kit was used to determine the N. caninum prevalence by detecting N. caninum-specific IgG antibodies. Results showed that a total of 24 sheep (4.8%; 95% CI: 2.9–6.6) and 8 goat samples (2.7%; 95% CI: 0.8–4.5) tested positive for N. caninum antibodies. Geographical distribution was identified as the predominant risk factor influencing N. caninum infection in sheep and goats in Shanxi Province, with seroprevalence of N. caninum ranging from 0% to 16.7% across different sampling sites. This study reports the seroprevalence of N. caninum infection in sheep and goats in Shanxi Province for the first time, providing baseline data for the prevention and control of N. caninum infection in this northern province of China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detection of Parasitic Diseases in Livestock: 2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 1104 KB  
Article
Integrated Molecular and Hematobiochemical Biomarkers for the Detection of Bovine Babesiosis in Holstein Calves
by Haifa Ali Alqhtani, Mohamed Marzok, Rasha Yassin Elkhidr, Ahmed A. Elsayed, Safaa M. Barghash, Ahmed L. El-Naggar, Mohamed T. Ragab, Ahmed I. Ateya, Fatmah Ahmed Safhi and Wafaa A. Osman
Vet. Sci. 2026, 13(2), 176; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci13020176 - 10 Feb 2026
Viewed by 924
Abstract
Bovine babesiosis is a widespread tick-borne parasitic disease that compromises calf health and productivity, causing substantial economic losses. This study evaluated the potential of molecular and hematobiochemical biomarkers for the detection of babesiosis in Holstein calves by analyzing the expression dynamics of selected [...] Read more.
Bovine babesiosis is a widespread tick-borne parasitic disease that compromises calf health and productivity, causing substantial economic losses. This study evaluated the potential of molecular and hematobiochemical biomarkers for the detection of babesiosis in Holstein calves by analyzing the expression dynamics of selected immune and antioxidant genes and their association with blood-based indicators. Blood samples were collected from 243 fattening calves, classified as healthy (n = 180) or naturally infected (n = 63). Transcriptional levels of immune-related genes (IL-2, IL-6, TNF-α, and MCP-1) and antioxidant genes (SOD3, CAT, GPX, and GST) were measured alongside hematological, biochemical, immunological, and oxidative stress assessments. Infected calves exhibited significant upregulation (p < 0.05) of immune and pro-inflammatory genes, indicating strong immune activation, while antioxidant gene expression was markedly downregulated, reflecting impaired redox balance. These molecular changes were accompanied by hematobiochemical alterations, including elevated liver and kidney markers, serum lipids, inflammatory mediators, and oxidative stress indices. Conversely, reductions were observed in glucose, serum proteins, thyroid hormones, essential minerals, total antioxidant capacity, and endogenous antioxidant enzymes. The coordinated assessment of immune and antioxidant gene expression with hematobiochemical profiles provides a robust biomarker-based approach for the early detection and monitoring of bovine babesiosis. These integrated molecular and blood-based indicators may support effective diagnosis, disease management, and control strategies in livestock production systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detection of Parasitic Diseases in Livestock: 2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 8254 KB  
Article
Molecular Evidence of Ovine Theileriosis in Selected Areas of Qinghai Province
by Lamu Aan, Yi Yang, Peiyao Yang, Chengcai Wang, Zhi Li, Yong Fu, Xueyong Zhang, Dan Jia, Xiuying Shen, Zhihong Guo, Jie Wang and Hong Duo
Vet. Sci. 2026, 13(2), 129; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci13020129 - 29 Jan 2026
Viewed by 456
Abstract
Ovine theileriosis is a tick-borne hemoparasitic disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Theileria, which poses a substantial threat to sheep and goats. The disease is prevalent in northwestern China, yet studies on the diversity of its pathogens in Qinghai Province [...] Read more.
Ovine theileriosis is a tick-borne hemoparasitic disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Theileria, which poses a substantial threat to sheep and goats. The disease is prevalent in northwestern China, yet studies on the diversity of its pathogens in Qinghai Province remain limited. From 2014 to 2025, 1062 blood samples were collected from sheep in 11 counties of Qinghai Province, and the Theileria spp. were investigated by PCR targeting the 18S rRNA gene. Genetic diversity analysis was performed to assess sequence variations and phylogenetic relationships. The results show that 424 samples tested positive for Theileria spp., with an overall infection rate of 39.92%, including T. uilenbergi 26.74%, T. luwenshuni 22.41%, T. ovis 18.17%, T. capreoli 0.56%, and Theileria sp. OT3 0.09%. The co-infection rate was 22.69%. Six haplotypes were detected in both T. uilenbergi and T. ovis, and fifteen in T. luwenshuni. Hap 1 was the dominant haplotype for all three species, with respective proportions of 73.08%, 77.06% and 82.17%. Phylogenetic analysis showed the strains were most closely related to those from Hunan, Turkey, Shaanxi, etc. These findings reveal a high diversity of Theileria species in Qinghai sheep, which provides crucial epidemiological insights into the transmission dynamics of ovine theileriosis in Qinghai and vital support for developing effective control strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detection of Parasitic Diseases in Livestock: 2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop