Zoonotic diseases remain a critical global health concern, emerging at the interface between human, animal, and environmental systems. The dynamic relationships between civilizational processes and the Earth system are reshaping the risks and patterns of spillover events, cross-species transmission, and the evolution of novel pathogens. Rapid land use change, climate and ecological shifts, population growth, and increased movement of people and goods continue to create new opportunities for zoonotic disease emergence and spread.
This Research Topic aims to advance our understanding of the genomic, epidemiological, and environmental dimensions of zoonotic diseases with a distinctive focus on novel approaches. By leveraging cutting-edge applications of molecular epidemiology, advanced modeling, and integrated surveillance, this collection highlights research that brings forward new concepts, technologies, and strategies for anticipating, detecting, and controlling zoonoses. We especially welcome interdisciplinary work that bridges human, animal, and ecosystem health within a One Health framework, addressing the complex drivers and pathways of zoonotic threats from global to local scales.
Suitable themes for manuscripts include, but are not limited to:
1. Genomic and molecular epidemiology of emerging zoonoses, with emphasis on novel tools and methodologies
2. Cross-species transmission and pathogen evolution, including drivers of and barriers to spillover events
3. Environmental factors and anthropogenic pressures affecting zoonotic disease emergence (e.g., land use change, biodiversity loss, climate variability)
4. Epidemiological modeling of zoonotic pathogen transmission dynamics using advanced digital, computational, or AI-based approaches
5. Zoonotic risks and resilience in global food systems, including fisheries and livestock production, with a focus on innovative risk assessment and prevention strategies
6. Surveillance strategies integrating human, animal, and environmental health, highlighting novel frameworks or technologies for early detection and monitoring
7. Interdisciplinary or cross-sectoral interventions that bridge planetary health and infectious disease prevention, especially those leveraging new analytics, data platforms, or bioinformatics
8. Case studies demonstrating the application of, challenges facing, and possibilities for any of the above themes and approaches
Our goal is to foster an innovative dialogue that reveals insights into the emergence, evolution, and prevention of zoonotic diseases, and aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals to promote health and resilience for all life on Earth.
Keywords: Zoonotic diseases, Planetary health, One Health, Zoonoses surveillance and prevention, Climate change, Biodiversity loss, Genomic and molecular epidemiology, Cross-species trasnsmission, Novel approaches to zoonotic disease control
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
