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Animals
Special Issues
Infection Immunity, Diagnosis and Prevention of Avian Influenza
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Infection Immunity, Diagnosis and Prevention of Avian Influenza

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Veterinary Clinical Studies".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 August 2025 | Viewed by 3046

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Manman Dai

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Interests: avian influenza; virus; poultry immunity
Dr. Jiayun Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
The Pirbright Institute, Surrey GU24 0NF, UK
Interests: avian influenza virus host range; pathogenesis; evolution; innate immunity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce an upcoming Special Issue on ‘Infection Immunity, Diagnosis, and Prevention of Avian Influenza’. Avian influenza continues to be a significant global health threat with the potential to cause widespread outbreaks in both animals and humans. The immune response to avian influenza viruses is complex, involving both innate and adaptive immunity. Key areas of interest include the mechanisms by which various avian influenza virus strains evade immune detection and the differential host immune response to virus infection. In addition, there is a increasing need for improved diagnostic tools that can rapidly detect avian influenza viruses, especially in resource-limited settings where timely and accurate diagnosis is critical for outbreak control. The development of vaccines and antiviral agents that provide broad protection against various avian influenza strains remains a top priority for researchers and public health officials. This Special Issue aims to bring together the latest research in these areas to improve our understanding and management of avian influenza.

We invite submissions on, but not limited to, the following topics related to avian influenza:

  • Molecular and cellular mechanisms of infection: Understanding how avian influenza viruses infect host cells, replicate, and cause disease, with a focus on virus–host interactions and immune modulation.
  • Immunity to avian influenza: Investigations into the immune response to infection, including the roles of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, antibodies, and the cytokine response.
  • Cross-species transmission and evolution: Research on how avian influenza viruses evolve and adapt to new hosts.
  • Diagnostic technologies for avian influenza: Advances in molecular, serological, and imaging-based diagnostic methods for detecting avian influenza in poultry and wildlife, including rapid and field-based testing techniques.
  • Vaccine development and prevention strategies: Novel approaches to developing vaccines that provide broad protection against diverse avian influenza strains.
  • Surveillance and epidemiology: Global surveillance strategies to monitor avian influenza outbreaks, track virus spread, and assess risk factors for new outbreaks.

We encourage original research articles, reviews, and perspectives that address these key areas. Contributions that bring new insights into avian influenza’s immunology, diagnosis, and prevention are particularly welcome.

Dr. Manman Dai
Dr. Jiayun Yang
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 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. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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

  • avian influenza
  • immune response
  • virus–host interactions
  • diagnostic methods
  • vaccine development
  • zoonotic transmission
  • epidemiology
  • surveillance

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

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 1228 KiB  
Article
Development of a Monoclonal Antibody Against Duck IFN-γ Protein and the Application for Intracellular Cytokine Staining
by Yingyi Chen, Wei Song, Junqiang Chen, Chenyang Jin, Jiewei Lin, Ming Liao and Manman Dai
Animals 2025, 15(6), 815; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15060815 - 13 Mar 2025
Viewed by 690
Abstract
Interferon-γ (IFN-γ), a member of the Type II IFN family, is a crucial cytokine in the immune system and serves as an important indicator of immune response. Intracellular cytokine staining (ICS) is a technique used to analyze the production of cytokines within individual [...] Read more.
Interferon-γ (IFN-γ), a member of the Type II IFN family, is a crucial cytokine in the immune system and serves as an important indicator of immune response. Intracellular cytokine staining (ICS) is a technique used to analyze the production of cytokines within individual cells, and it has a wide range of applications in the fields of immunological monitoring, vaccine trials, and the study of infectious diseases. This study aimed to prepare monoclonal antibodies against duck IFN-γ protein and to establish an ICS protocol for detecting the duck IFN-γ protein. The duIFN-γ-His or duIFN-γ-Fc gene was cloned into the pEE12.4 expression vector and expressed as a recombinant protein of size 20.2 KDa or 54.9 KDa in 293F cells. The purified recombinant proteins were inoculated into BALB/c mice to generate splenic lymphocytes capable of secreting anti-duIFN-γ antibodies, and hybridoma cells were obtained after fusion with SP2/0 cells. A new hybridoma cell line named 24H4, which stably secreted IgG3 κ subtype antibody against duck IFN-γ, was established. This monoclonal antibody (mAb) was identified by Western blot to recognize duck IFN-γ antibodies, and the indirect ELISA results showed that its ability to recognize IFN-γ protein reached 0.001 μg/mL. The established ICS method was used to stain PBMCs after Concanavalin A (ConA) stimulation, and duck IFN-γ protein was successfully detected by flow cytometry, indicating that the ICS method was successful. In this study, we provide a crucial tool for subsequent research on duck cellular immune responses by using the monoclonal antibody 24H4. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infection Immunity, Diagnosis and Prevention of Avian Influenza)
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Review

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23 pages, 3759 KiB  
Review
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1) Clade 2.3.4.4b in Cattle: A Rising One Health Concern
by Ivan Camilo Sanchez-Rojas, D. Katterine Bonilla-Aldana, Catherin Lorena Solarte-Jimenez, Jorge Luis Bonilla-Aldana, Jaime David Acosta-España and Alfonso J. Rodriguez-Morales
Animals 2025, 15(13), 1963; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15131963 - 3 Jul 2025
Viewed by 736
Abstract
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1, particularly clade 2.3.4.4b, has demonstrated an unprecedented capacity for cross-species transmission, with recent reports confirming its presence in dairy cattle in the United States of America (USA) in 2024. This unexpected spillover challenges traditional understanding of the [...] Read more.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1, particularly clade 2.3.4.4b, has demonstrated an unprecedented capacity for cross-species transmission, with recent reports confirming its presence in dairy cattle in the United States of America (USA) in 2024. This unexpected spillover challenges traditional understanding of the virus’s host range and raises serious public health and veterinary concerns. Infected cattle presented with clinical signs such as decreased milk production, thickened or discolored milk, respiratory issues, and lethargy. Pathological findings revealed inflammation of the mammary glands and the detection of a virus in nasal secretions and raw milk, suggesting a potential for both intra- and interspecies transmission. While the current risk of human-to-human transmission remains low, the detection of H5N1 in a human exposed to infected cattle highlights the need for heightened surveillance and protective measures. Moreover, the presence of infectious viruses in the food chain, particularly in unpasteurized milk, introduces a new dimension of zoonotic risk. This review synthesizes emerging evidence on the epidemiology, pathology, diagnostic findings, and zoonotic implications of HPAI H5N1 infection in cattle. It also highlights the importance of genomic surveillance, intersectoral collaboration, and One Health approaches in managing this evolving threat. As the virus continues to circulate and adapt across diverse hosts, including wild birds, domestic poultry, and now mammals, the potential for reassortment and emergence of novel strains remains a significant concern. Immediate actions to strengthen biosecurity, monitor viral evolution, and protect both animal and human populations are critical to mitigate the global risk posed by this expanding panzootic. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infection Immunity, Diagnosis and Prevention of Avian Influenza)
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Other

Jump to: Research, Review

20 pages, 5652 KiB  
Systematic Review
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 in Cats (Felis catus): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by D. Katterine Bonilla-Aldana, Jorge Luis Bonilla-Aldana, Jaime David Acosta-España and Alfonso J. Rodriguez-Morales
Animals 2025, 15(10), 1441; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15101441 - 16 May 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1299
Abstract
Introduction: Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1, a zoonotic virus primarily affecting birds, has shown increasing cross-species transmission, including to domestic animals such as cats. Recent reports of cat infections, often associated with contact with infected birds or the consumption of raw milk [...] Read more.
Introduction: Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1, a zoonotic virus primarily affecting birds, has shown increasing cross-species transmission, including to domestic animals such as cats. Recent reports of cat infections, often associated with contact with infected birds or the consumption of raw milk from H5N1-positive cattle, raise concerns about their role in viral adaptation and zoonotic transmission. Objective: To assess the global prevalence and characteristics of H5N1 infections in cats (Felis catus) through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic search across PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science up to 1 March 2025. Observational studies reporting the prevalence or seroprevalence of H5N1 in cats (Felis catus) were included. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed independently by four reviewers. Meta-analyses were conducted using a random-effects model, and heterogeneity was assessed via I2 statistics. Results: Twenty-one studies met the inclusion criteria, of which eight were included in the meta-analysis (n = 3586 cats). The pooled global prevalence of Felis catus infections due to H5N1 influenza was 0.7% (95%CI: 0.3–1.1%), with high heterogeneity (I2 = 86.5%). The prevalence varied by the diagnostic method, region, cat type, and time. Domestic cats and those in Africa had higher infection rates (20.0% and 32.0%, respectively). Case reports (n = 35) revealed a high mortality (74%), predominantly from clade 2.3.4.4b, with neurological and respiratory manifestations. Conclusions: Although the overall prevalence is low, H5N1 infection in cats is increasing, particularly in clade 2.3.4.4b. Their close contact with humans and other animals highlights the need for enhanced surveillance, diagnostics, and One Health strategies to mitigate zoonotic risks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infection Immunity, Diagnosis and Prevention of Avian Influenza)
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