Stray Animals as Sentinels of Zoonotic Threats in a One Health Framework

The field of zoonotic disease surveillance has increasingly recognized the critical role of animal populations as early warning systems for public health threats. Stray animals, in particular, occupy a unique ecological interface between wildlife, domestic animals, and humans, making them valuable sentinels for the emergence and spread of zoonoses. Current challenges in zoonotic disease monitoring include underreporting, delayed detection, and the complex interplay of environmental and socio-economic factors that influence disease dynamics, especially in urban and peri-urban settings. Recent studies have demonstrated the presence of high pathogen diversity in stray animal populations and their potential to act as reservoirs for both known and novel zoonotic agents. Furthermore, there is growing evidence that stray animals act as critical reservoirs for Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), accumulating multidrug-resistant organisms from the environment and serving as a mirror for the "urban resistome". Despite these advances, the integration of stray animal surveillance into broader public health strategies remains limited, and the application of the One Health approach - which recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health - has not been fully realized in this context.

This Research Topic aims to advance our understanding of the role stray animals play as sentinels for zoonoses and to explore innovative ways to incorporate One Health strategies into zoonotic disease surveillance. Key objectives include elucidating the mechanisms through which stray animals contribute to pathogen spillover and persistence, assessing the effectiveness of current surveillance methodologies, and identifying opportunities for cross-sectoral collaboration. This will help to clarify the value and limitations of using stray animal populations for early detection of zoonotic threats and inform the development of more holistic, integrated surveillance systems.

The scope of this Research Topic encompasses research focused on stray animals as indicators of zoonotic risk, leveraging a One Health perspective. Manuscripts may address diverse geographic, ecological, and methodological settings, but should center on cross-disciplinary integration.

We welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

- Stray animals as reservoirs and indicators of specific zoonotic pathogens
- The role of stray animals in the dissemination and maintenance of AMR
- Surveillance methods for pathogen detection in stray populations
- Socio-ecological factors shaping stray animal health and zoonotic risk
- Strategies to better integrate veterinary, medical, and environmental health data
- Case studies and pilot programs applying One Health approaches to stray animal surveillance
- Ethical, legal, and policy considerations in the management and study of stray animal populations