Epidemiology, Evolution, Pathogenicity and Antiviral Strategies of Animal Coronaviruses

Dear Colleagues,

In the past two decades, the emergence and re-emergence of multiple coronaviruses have posed severe threats to both public health and global animal industries. The outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) in 2002, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in 2012, swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV) in 2017 and SARS-CoV-2 in 2019 have underscored the enormous zoonotic potential of this virus family. Animal coronaviruses, particularly those infecting livestock (e.g., porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, PEDV; transmissible gastroenteritis virus, TGEV; bovine coronavirus, BCoV), poultry (e.g., infectious bronchitis virus, IBV), companion animals (e.g., canine coronavirus, CCoV; feline coronavirus, FCoV) and wildlife (e.g., bat coronaviruses), continue to circulate worldwide, causing significant morbidity, mortality and economic losses. Moreover, the propensity of coronaviruses for genetic recombination, rapid mutation and cross-species transmission renders them a persistent challenge for veterinary medicine and biosafety. Therefore, comprehensive investigations into the epidemiology, evolutionary dynamics, pathogenic mechanisms and antiviral strategies against animal coronaviruses are urgently needed to mitigate current disease burdens and preempt future pandemic risks.

This Special Issue aims to serve as a dedicated platform for disseminating cutting-edge research on animal coronaviruses across multiple dimensions. We seek to assemble a collection of high-quality original research articles and reviews that advance our understanding of how these viruses emerge, spread, evolve and cause disease in animal hosts, as well as innovative approaches to their prevention and control. The scope encompasses, but is not limited to, molecular epidemiology and surveillance, genomic evolution and phylogenetics, virus–host interactions and pathogenesis, innate and adaptive immune responses and the development of novel vaccines, antiviral compounds and therapeutic strategies. By bridging these interconnected themes, this Special Issue will provide valuable insights for researchers, veterinarians and policymakers engaged in combating animal coronavirus diseases and safeguarding One Health. We anticipate receiving at least 10 contributions to ensure the breadth and depth required for a successful collection, which may also be considered for republication in book form.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Epidemiological surveillance and molecular typing of animal coronaviruses in livestock, poultry, companion animals and wildlife;
• Genomic evolution, recombination events and phylogenetic analysis of animal coronaviruses;
• Cross-species transmission, host range expansion and zoonotic risk assessment;
• Viral entry, replication and virus–host interaction mechanisms;
• Pathogenesis, histopathology and disease modeling in natural and experimental hosts;
• Host immune responses, immunopathology and immune evasion strategies;
• Development and evaluation of novel vaccines, monoclonal antibodies and immunotherapies;
• Discovery, screening and mechanism studies of antiviral drugs and natural compounds;
• Diagnostic advances, including CRISPR-based, biosensor and next-generation sequencing approaches;
• Prevention, control strategies and farm biosecurity measures.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Deping Song
Dr. Fanfan Zhang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• animal coronavirus
• epidemiology
• evolution
• pathogenicity
• antiviral
• cross-species transmission
• vaccine development
• virus–host interaction
• zoonotic risk
• livestock disease