#Zoonotic neglected tropical #diseases at the animal-human interface in the Greater #Mekong Subregion: Two decades of surveillance in #Laos and #Cambodia

 

Abstract

Zoonotic neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) remain a substantial but under-recognised source of human morbidity and economic concern in the Greater Mekong Subregion, particularly in settings characterised by close human–animal interaction. This article represents a narrative synthesis of zoonotic disease research conducted in Laos and Cambodia between 2000 and 2025. The review integrates published literature with findings from long-term surveillance programmes conducted by the authors and collaborating institutions in Laos, with comparative insights from Cambodia, to examine the presence, distribution, diversity, and drivers of zoonotic pathogens at the human–animal interface. Evidence demonstrates the endemic presence of a wide range of parasitic, bacterial, and viral zoonoses, including Taenia solium, Trichinella spp., Streptococcus suis, rickettsial infections, melioidosis, hepatitis E virus, and Japanese encephalitis virus. Some of these pathogens are sustained within smallholder livestock systems, informal slaughter, farming practises, food networks, and wet market environments, where limited diagnostic capacity and fragmented surveillance obscure true disease presence. Surveillance innovations, including abattoir-based sampling, cross-sectoral serological studies, environmental surveillance approaches, and molecular diagnostic tools, have improved pathogen detection but have also highlighted persistent structural and behavioural barriers to control. Socio-cultural practices, occupational exposure, wildlife trade, and economic dependencies reinforce transmission dynamics, indicating that biomedical interventions alone are insufficient. Instead, zoonotic disease persistence reflects the interaction of livestock production systems, environmental conditions, diagnostic limitations, and entrenched human behaviours. This review emphasises the need for integrated One Health approaches that combine strengthened surveillance, improved diagnostics, behavioural interventions, and regional collaboration. Addressing zoonotic NTDs in Laos and Cambodia requires coordinated strategies that account for both biological complexity and socio-economic context to achieve sustainable disease control and improved public health outcomes.

Source: 

Link: https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014584

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Emerging and re-emerging vector-borne and other #zoonotic #RNA #viruses: #pathogenesis, #climate-driven dynamics, and strategies for global control

 

Abstract

Vector-borne and other zoonotic RNA viruses provide a significant and growing threat to global health, especially in areas where climate change, urbanization, and population growth facilitate the proliferation of arthropod vectors. This review offers an extensive examination of the biology, epidemiology, and pathogenesis of numerous important viruses, including dengue, Zika, chikungunya, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever, Nipah, Ebola, and hantaviruses. We underscore how environmental and social factors, particularly increasing temperatures, modified precipitation patterns, and accelerated urbanization, transform vector habitats and spillover dynamics. The article further analyzes host–virus and virus–vector interactions, highlighting mechanisms of immune evasion, neurotropism, and vascular disease. Computational and machine learning models are examined as novel instruments for forecasting outbreaks and developing early warning systems. Finally, a summary of present and prospective control options is provided, covering integrated vector management, Wolbachia-based biological control, vaccinations, and antiviral immunotherapies.

Source: 

Link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1755594/full

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