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Zoonotic diseases

Guest Editors:
Ibrahim Elsohaby: City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Luca Villa: University of Milan, Italy


At present, there are approximately 150 known zoonotic diseases worldwide that are transmitted to humans by both wild and domestic animal populations, and it is currently estimated that 75% of all emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic in nature. Today, many zoonoses can cause recurring disease outbreaks, while others have the potential to cause a global pandemic. BMC Veterinary Research welcomed papers that focus on the latest updates on zoonotic diseases that cover, but are not limited to, the etiology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, detection, diagnosis, treatment, and control/prevention of zoonotic diseases.

Meet the Guest Editors

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Ibrahim Elsohaby: City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Ibrahim Elsohaby is Assistant professor of Public Health and Epidemiology at City University of Hong Kong. His research focuses on using epidemiologic and quantitative methods to develop realistic antimicrobial stewardship strategies based on a One Health approach and to reduce the risk of zoonotic diseases transmission to human contacts and the general public. Current research focuses on the role of companion animals in the spread and persistence of AMR zoonotic bacteria.
 

Luca Villa: University of Milan, Italy

Luca Villa, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Ph.D. in Veterinary and Animal Sciences, is a Parasitologist at the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences of the University of Milan, Lodi, Italy. His main research activity is related to parasitic diseases of relevance for human health and animal health, welfare, and productivity, in particular the study of Protozoa infections in relation to dynamics of host-parasite interactions, epidemiology, diagnosis, and control. 

About the collection

BMC Veterinary Research welcomed submissions to our Collection on Zoonotic diseases.

Zoonotic diseases are infections caused by bacteria, viruses, prion, parasites, and fungi that are naturally transmissible from vertebrate animals to humans either through direct contact with the animal itself, or through food, water, or the environment. Currently, zoonotic pathogens are causing enormous economic losses to the livestock industry, and pose an ever growing global risk to public and animal health due to our close relationship with animals – whether it is companion or wild animals, or animals in agriculture.

At present, there are approximately 150 known zoonotic diseases worldwide that are transmitted to humans by both wild and domestic animal populations, and it is currently estimated that 75% of all emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic in nature. Today, many zoonoses can cause recurring disease outbreaks, while others have the potential to cause a global pandemic.

In the view of the One Health approach, recognizing that the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and interdependent, this collection aimed to bring together original research with the latest updates on zoonotic diseases that cover, but are not limited to, the etiology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, detection, diagnosis, treatment, and control/prevention of zoonotic diseases. The collection considered research articles, case reports, study protocols, reviews and opinion papers.  

Image credit: Fusion Medical Animation/unsplash

  1. Sparganosis is a rare zoonotic disease caused by plerocercoid larvae of the genera Spirometra or Sparganum (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidae). The larvae of Spirometra generally do not und...

    Authors: Toshihiro Tokiwa, Momo Fushimi, Shyun Chou, Akemi Yoshida, Kensei Kinoshita, Atsushi Hikima, Taisei Kikuchi and Kiyokazu Ozaki
    Citation: BMC Veterinary Research 2024 20:148
    Content type: Case Report Published on:

  2. Toxoplasma gondii causes lifelong infection in most definitive and intermediate hosts. Clinical cases of toxoplasmosis in captive cheetahs have been reported. However, there are few reports of viable T. gondii st...

    Authors: Niuping Zhu, Hongjie Ren, Liulu Yang, Gaohui Mao, Junbao Li, Chunlei Su and Yurong Yang
    Citation: BMC Veterinary Research 2024 20:71
    Content type: Research Published on:

  3. Enterocytozoon bieneusi is a zoonotic pathogen widely distributed in animals and humans. It can cause diarrhea and even death in immunocompromised hosts. Approximately 800 internal transcribed spacer (ITS) genoty...

    Authors: Minghui Chen, Haidong Wang, Xinmiao Li, Yunan Guo, Ying Lu, Liping Zheng, Guoqing Liang, Yuzhen Sui, Bukang Wang, Hongyu Dai, Haiju Dong and Longxian Zhang
    Citation: BMC Veterinary Research 2024 20:53
    Content type: Research Published on:

  4. Salmonella Enteritidis is a zoonotic pathogen and poses a substantial risk to human health, as well as significant financial losses to the livestock and poultry industries. It is currently urgent to identify alte...

    Authors: Yu Lu, Shihao Ge, Haili Zhang, Wen Lu, Xiangli Bao, Shiling Pan and Quanhai Pang
    Citation: BMC Veterinary Research 2023 19:242
    Content type: Research Published on:

  5. Dirofilarioses are widespread diseases caused by mosquito-borne nematodes of the family Onchocercidae, genus Dirofilaria. The major etiologic agent of canine dirofilariosis in the American continent is the zoonot...

    Authors: Lisset Roblejo-Arias, Cristian Díaz-Corona, Elianne Piloto-Sardiñas, Adrian A. Díaz-Sánchez, Zbigniew Zając, Joanna Kulisz, Aneta Woźniak, Sara Moutailler, Dasiel Obregon, Angélique Foucault-Simonin, Belkis Corona-González and Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
    Citation: BMC Veterinary Research 2023 19:239
    Content type: Research Published on:

  6. Cattle brucellosis is a severe zoonosis of worldwide distribution caused by Brucella abortus and B. melitensis. In some countries with appropriate infrastructure, animal tagging and movement control, eradication ...

    Authors: J. M. Blasco, E. Moreno, P. M. Muñoz, R. Conde-Álvarez and I. Moriyón
    Citation: BMC Veterinary Research 2023 19:211
    Content type: Review Published on:

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select "Zoonotic diseases" from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Guest Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Guest Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.