We carried out a viral surveillance study on 30 black-horned capuchin monkeys (Sapajus nigritus) in Rio Doce State Park, a protected area in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Samples were tested for orthopoxviruses, flaviviruses, coronaviruses, influenza viruses, and a wide range of other respiratory viruses using molecular and serological methods. RT-qPCR detected the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) genome in oral swabs from two asymptomatic juvenile females sampled in an area with high human interaction. This finding indicates a possible exposure of an population to RSV, a contagious human pathogen, and highlights the importance of increased surveillance at the human-wildlife interface.

Lassa fever remains a major public health concern in Nigeria, where climatic variability, ecological dynamics, and socio-behavioral factors combine to influence transmission patterns. This review synthesizes current evidence on how atmospheric conditions shape Lassa fever incidence through their effects on ecosystems, rodent reservoirs, and human exposure pathways. Drawing on studies in epidemiology, disease ecology, climate science and remote sensing, the review highlights that temperature, rainfall, humidity, vegetation change and large-scale climatic oscillations all contribute to fluctuations in Mastomys natalensis populations which serve as the primary reservoir of Lassa virus. These climatic drivers modify food availability, breeding cycles and habitat suitability for rodents which in turn affect the probability of viral spillover. Modeling approaches including statistical regression, time series analysis, ecological niche modeling and spatiotemporal remote sensing demonstrate that environmental variables significantly improve predictions of disease risk. However, important gaps remain including limited long-term ecological data, underreporting in surveillance systems, insufficient integration of rodent ecology with climate data and a need for more comprehensive socio-behavioral studies. The review recommends future directions such as sustained monitoring of Mastomys populations, high-resolution climate-sensitive modeling, genomic analysis of Lassa virus across climatic gradients and multidisciplinary approaches that combine environmental science with public health research. Improving climate-informed surveillance and early warning systems is essential for strengthening preparedness and reducing the burden of Lassa fever in Nigeria.

Rift Valley fever (RVF) remains one of the most recognisable yet persistently elusive zoonotic diseases in Africa, despite decades of scientific advances in virology, epidemiology, and early warning. While RVF dynamics are well characterised in eco-epidemiological terms, its continued emergence, amplification, and persistence suggest that biological complexity alone does not fully explain ongoing transmission patterns. This review adopts a socio-ecological One Health systems perspective to examine how interactions between eco-epidemiological processes, livestock mobility, and health governance structures shape RVF risk. Drawing on an integrative synthesis of interdisciplinary literature, it conceptualises RVF dynamics as arising from three interconnected domains: biological risk generation, spatial redistribution through mobility and trade systems, and institutional response through governance architectures. The analysis highlights a fundamental misalignment across these domains. Ecological signals and animal health indicators often precede outbreaks but are not translated into timely action; livestock mobility redistributes risk across regions beyond the reach of nationally bounded response systems; and governance arrangements remain fragmented, with no single institution holding end-to-end responsibility. As a result, RVF response remains largely reactive and case-triggered despite the availability of predictive tools and preventive interventions. Addressing this persistent gap requires a shift from reactive, case-chasing response toward anticipatory, integrated governance that aligns ecological intelligence, mobility-informed risk management, and coordinated cross-sectoral action. Viewing RVF through this systems lens underscores that its persistence reflects less a failure of knowledge than a failure of alignment between the systems through which risk is generated, redistributed, and governed.

The present study evaluated 63 shrimp aquaculture farm sites in the Thrissur and Alappuzha districts of Kerala State, India. A total of 206 samples were analyzed, and 50 extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli strains were identified with antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) profiles. All the strains were multidrug-resistant (MDR), with multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) indices ranging from 0.32 to 0.64. PCR detection revealed a high prevalence of ESBL genes, blaCTX-M-gp-1 (86%), blaTEM (58%), blaSHV (50%), DHA (58%) and blaCMY-2 (48%). Quinolone and fluoroquinolone genes are aac(6')-Ib-cr (100%), qnrS (78%), OqxA (52%), OqxB (18%) and qnrB (8%). Non-ESBL genes included tetA+tetB (98%, 2%), sul1+sul2 (90%, 76%) and cmlA (48%). Plasmid replicon typing showed that IncFIB and IncN (96%), IncI1 (92%), IncFIC (78%) and IncFIA (56%) as predominant plasmid types. Phylogrouping revealed the presence of pathogenic lineages B2 (40%) and D (14%), whereas phylogroups E (86%) and C (82%) were more prevalent. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) demonstrated high genetic heterogeneity among the strains, indicating non-clonal dissemination across farms. These findings indicate a surge in ESBL-producing E. coli exhibiting elevated resistance mechanisms, posing a significant public health threat. This underscores the urgent need for coordinated cross-sectoral interventions to mitigate AMR risks, curb the dissemination of resistance genes, and safeguard aquatic ecosystems and public health.

A necropsy of a female maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) from northern Argentina revealed a gunshot wound with embedded metallic fragments, severe emaciation, and renal damage from Dioctophyme renale. The case illustrates how illegal persecution continues to endanger this species, categorized as Vulnerable in Argentina and Near Threatened globally. Beyond the individual loss, such events expose persistent human-wildlife conflict and the urgent need for a coordinated national conservation plan that explicitly addresses direct violence, enforces legal protection, and promotes community engagement to safeguard the species' long-term survival.

Pesticide exposure poses a growing threat to the health of wild avian populations worldwide. This report documents the first detections of agricultural chemicals in the tissues of wild Carnaby's cockatoos (Zanda latirostris) in Western Australia. The events, characterised by morbidity and mortality, occurred in a national park near Perth, following periods of elevated summer temperatures over two seasons. Toxicological analysis of liver and digestive tract contents identified multiple pesticides and an herbicide, including methomyl, a highly toxic carbamate insecticide. Hot weather conditions preceding the events potentially increased the cockatoos' use of alternative water sources for drinking, such as those in commercial vegetable gardens adjacent to the park. This represents the first published instance of insecticide poisoning in wild black cockatoos and introduces a new transmission pathway for agricultural chemical exposure in Carnaby's cockatoos. It highlights the need for targeted conservation strategies such as bird watering stations, and longer-term research on the impacts of agricultural chemical exposure in wild avian populations.

The rate at which viral lineages accumulate genetic divergence is central to understanding pathogen evolution, yet direct empirical measurements are limited. The COVID-19 pandemic, through the combination of pandemic-scale replication and dense genomic surveillance, offers an opportunity to calibrate this relationship directly. Unlike previous analyses that use time as the independent variable, this study uses cumulative infections, providing an epidemiological clock calibrated in units of replication opportunity that is not confounded by variation in transmission intensity. A total of 1279 SARS-CoV-2 genomes from the Nextstrain open dataset, sampled between February 2020 and February 2023, were paired with contemporaneous estimates of cumulative global infections from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) to model genomic divergence from Wuhan-Hu-1 as a function of cumulative infections. Divergence increased sublinearly across roughly 14 billion infections over three years, with the most diverged circulating genomes accumulating only about 120 substitutions relative to Wuhan-Hu-1. Extrapolating the fitted relationships, generating the roughly 1000 substitutions that separate SARS-CoV-2 from its closest known sarbecovirus relatives would require on the order of 100-300 billion human infection-equivalents. These requirements would increase substantially in wildlife reservoir hosts, where viral replication per infection is orders of magnitude lower. Conservative estimates of the replication opportunity available in Rhinolophus bat populations imply that the common ancestor of SARS-CoV-2 and its nearest sequenced relatives predates modern virological surveillance by roughly a century. More realistic estimates raise this estimate to millennia, suggesting the closest known relatives of SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 cannot have served as their progenitors.

In the 1970s, archaeologists excavating sites in Madera County, California, which is now submerged by Hensley Reservoir, contracted coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever), a fungal disease caused by Coccidioides immitis. Soil samples from these sites were archived but not processed due to concerns about infectious arthroconidia. This study investigates whether these decades-old samples, stored at room temperature, still contain Coccidioides and pose a risk to researchers and collections managers. We analyzed 176 subsamples using molecular and culture-based methods, with DNA extractions performed in duplicate across two laboratories. Results confirmed the continued presence of Coccidioides DNA, indicating that long-term archived soils can retain infectious potential. Based on these findings, we developed protocols for safe handling of such materials. Our work highlights the intersection of environmental exposure, occupational health, and Coccidioides' persistence in soil. It underscores the need for biosafety measures when handling archived soils from endemic regions, especially those of archaeological interest. Individuals working with these materials, whether in field settings or museum collections, may be at risk of exposure and illness without proper precautions. This study provides a framework for assessing and mitigating risks associated with archived soils and contributes to broader discussions on environmental reservoirs of fungal pathogens. By combining culture-based and molecular approaches, we demonstrate the importance of proactive safety protocols in protecting public and occupational health.

Rodent control in urban areas is an important public health measure, among other reasons, for their capacity of harboring several zoonotic pathogens. Efficient, evidence-based control programs must consider both rodent and pathogen ecology, to achieve both rodent population and pathogen transmission risk reduction. The present study aims to determine the ecological drivers of Leptospira and Hantavirus positivity in an urban Norway Rat population. One hundred and twenty rats were trapped in four urban poor communities in Salvador, Brazil, tested for Leptospira sp. and Hantavirus. Generalized Linear Models for Leptospira (N=109) and Hantavirus (N=108) positivity were created with a pool of environmental and demographic variables, followed by stepwise model selection using Akaike's Information Criterion. Age, presence of Calodium hepaticum scars, wounds, accumulated materials, open sewer canals and unpaved soil were positively associated with Leptospira positivity. Age and presence of accumulated materials were positively associated with Hantavirus positivity, while rodent control campaigns and being male were protective factors. Factors associated with positivity for Leptospira are also associated with rodent infestation. Different subsets of environmental and demographic factors influence pathogens with different epidemiological characteristics. Control measures that effectively reduce zoonotic risk must consider the ecological characteristics of the pathogens present in the system.

Loxosceles spp. bites can occasionally lead to systemic loxoscelism, including hemolysis and severe systemic illness. Secondary bacterial infections after spider bites are rarely reported and usually limited to skin commensals. We describe a patient with violin spider (Loxosceles rufescens) bite complicated by Capnocytophaga canimorsus sepsis, an emerging zoonotic pathogen classically linked to dog and cat bites. Blood cultures confirmed the infection, although subsequent non-viability of the isolate precluded antimicrobial susceptibility testing and genomic characterization. This case highlights diagnostic pitfalls, the under-recognized zoonotic role of arthropods, the need for culture-independent methods and a One Health perspective on antimicrobial resistance.

Anthropogenic habitat alteration makes amphibians particularly susceptible to pathogens such as Ranavirus (Rv). Despite severe fragmentation, Brazil's Atlantic Forest remains understudied regarding Rv distribution and impacts. We fill these gaps by mapping Rv across six amphibian communities from areas with varying habitat alteration to identify key conservation areas. We investigated whether susceptibility varies among hosts considering their reproductive modes and habitats. We screened ethanol-preserved livers from specimens previously tested for Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) to detect potential co-infections, with emphasis on regions lacking Rv data. Our findings demonstrate that Rv is widespread across sampled anuran communities, with a 27% prevalence, and a few Rv[+] individuals (n = 8) were found co-infected with Bd. As expected, anurans from sites experiencing severe habitat degradation, particularly the deforested landscapes of Linhares and Santa Teresa, are more prone to infection by Rv, and aquatic species suffer higher odds of Rv infection than terrestrial ones. Contrarily, anurans from less disturbed sites tend to bear higher Rv infection burdens, and infection intensity diminishes as elevation increases. These results highlight the urgent need for targeted habitat restoration, regular pathogen surveillance, and integrated conservation strategies to mitigate disease impact and preserve amphibian diversity in threatened Atlantic Forest ecosystems in Brazil.

Since leptospirosis' re-emergence in Sydney, Australia, concerns about the risk of exposure to pathogenic Leptospira species at urban parks have risen. The current longitudinal environmental survey investigated the temporal detection of pathogenic Leptospira at a major recreational park and explored whether the presence of a flying-fox (Pteropus spp.) camp affects soil Leptospira detection. From February to October 2024, environmental samples and voided faecal samples (flying-fox faeces, and goose faeces as controls) were collected from Centennial Park, Sydney. The samples were tested by a diagnostic 16S rRNA TaqMan quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay, and time series of the monthly minimum cycle threshold (Ct) values were generated to assess cross-correlation. Over the nine-month study period, pathogenic Leptospira was consistently detected in soil and water samples. Despite not being a known reservoir of Leptospira, three voided goose faecal samples tested qPCR-positive (Ct 38.22-38.84). There was no difference in qPCR results of soil collected from the flying-fox camp and another nearby location. The water Ct time series was not correlated with monthly precipitation, but was positively cross-correlated with the Ct time series of soil collected at the flying-fox camp one month prior. Overall, the results suggested temporal ubiquity of pathogenic Leptospira at this park. No direct evidence of flying-foxes' contribution to the environmental Leptospira burden at the park was uncovered, but mechanical movement of Leptospira between soil and water, and the role of birds as mechanical vectors, need further research.

Illegal wild animal trade and possession represents a threat to One Health due to the pathogens exchange between wild animals and humans. We report the detection and genomic characterization of a multidrug-resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli strain (MP02) colonizing a capuchin monkey (Sapajus sp.) rescued from illegal possession. MP02 exhibited ExPEC-related genes, harbored an IncHI2-ST1 plasmid composed of quinolones, aminoglycosides, and sulfonamides resistance genes, besides the extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-encoding gene blaCTX-M-15 located in a conserved Tn3-like transposon. To the author's knowledge, this is the first report and genomic analysis of a MDR bacterium isolated from an illegally traded non-human primate.

Influenza A virus (IAV) is a zoonotic pathogen with a broad host range, including birds, humans, and various mammalian species. Domestic cats have been documented as incidental hosts, particularly in regions with ongoing avian influenza outbreaks. Cats are important companion animals in Dhaka, Bangladesh; however, data on IAV infection in this population are limited. This study aimed to investigate the presence of IAV in domestic cats in Dhaka through molecular surveillance. A total of 50 nasal swab samples were collected from domestic cats with mild respiratory signs presented from different areas of Dhaka city. Samples were tested for IAV using real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) targeting the matrix (M) gene. All 50 samples tested negative for IAV. No evidence of IAV infection was found within the sampled population, suggesting low or no detectable zoonotic risk from domestic cats during the study period. These findings provide baseline data on IAV surveillance in domestic cats in Dhaka. However, given the limited sample size and sampling period, larger longitudinal surveillance studies are warranted to better assess the potential for IAV spillover in high-risk settings.

Anthropogenic disturbances such as habitat fragmentation and climate change increasingly affect nature park ecosystems. In several Canadian peri-urban nature parks, these pressures contribute to ecological imbalances, including overabundant white-tailed deer populations and emerging tick-borne diseases. Wildlife management interventions can have different purposes such as biodiversity conservation and protection of animal health or human health, but the acceptability of some of them, like culling, can be controversial. This qualitative study explored factors influencing the acceptability of such interventions. Seven focus groups were conducted, involving 22 park users from six peri-urban nature parks in southeastern Québec, Canada. Discussions explored perceptions of current and potential wildlife interventions. Findings revealed that emotional connections to the park and its wildlife, concern for animal welfare, awareness of links between biodiversity, health and human behaviors, trust in science and management authorities, and transparent communication all influence acceptability. Participants showed a strong understanding of ecological issues and their connections to emerging health risks. Fostering understanding among the public and decision-makers, particularly regarding links between ecosystem imbalances and health, is crucial to improving the acceptability of wildlife interventions in peri-urban nature parks. Building on existing public awareness through transparent communication and proactive engagement by managers and scientists remains essential to building trust and supporting effective wildlife management to protect biodiversity and human and animal health.