Annals of Medicine

Emerging Zoonoses: Current and Future Directions

Emerging zoonoses are diseases that cross the species barrier from animals to humans, and they are increasingly at the forefront of global health challenges. Recent outbreaks of viral diseases such as COVID-19 underscore the multifaceted factors driving the emergence of novel pathogens. Rapid changes in land use, wildlife trade, climate change, and global travel have heightened the risk of spillover events, placing new pressures on healthcare systems and public health infrastructures worldwide.

In this context, the complexity of emerging zoonoses calls for integrative approaches that span the entire continuum from translational medicine to clinical practice. Scientific advances in genomics, immunology, and diagnostics must be swiftly translated into effective vaccines, targeted therapies, and practical treatment protocols. At the same time, clinical practitioners must be prepared to implement and adapt these innovations in diverse settings, ensuring that the benefits of cutting-edge research are accessible to all populations. This requires bridging the gap between fundamental bench science and real-world patient care, as well as fostering partnerships that bring together experts in infectious diseases, veterinary science, environmental health, epidemiology, and public health policy. A One Health perspective—recognizing the interdependence of human, animal, and environmental health—can catalyse this collaborative effort.

Emerging zoonoses pose urgent threats to global health, demanding coordinated responses that transcend traditional academic and clinical boundaries. These diseases test our capacity to swiftly translate bench discoveries into bedside solutions, from novel diagnostics and therapeutics to validated clinical guidelines. Addressing emerging zoonoses through integrative, translational frameworks ensures that breakthroughs in research can rapidly inform clinical decision-making and health policy, ultimately improving patient outcomes and community resilience.

This Article Collection will highlight research that advances understanding of emerging zoonoses including vector-borne diseases through innovative translational approaches and evidence-based clinical practice. We will consider Original Research, Clinical Trials, Protocols, Case Series and Commentaries. We also welcome the submission of negative and null results and reproducibility studies. Letters to the Editor are also considered and should discuss an analysis of an article previously published in the Article Collection.

We invite submissions on:
- Translational pipelines for diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines against emerging zoonotic pathogens and arthropod vectors
- Clinical practice insights, patient management, and outcomes research
- One Health strategies linking human, animal, and environmental health domains
- Novel surveillance systems, early warning tools, and risk assessment methods

Guest Advisors:

Dr. Daniele Roberto Giacobbe. University of Genoa, Italy

Daniele Roberto Giacobbe, MD, PhD, is Associate Professor in infectious diseases at the University of Genoa, Italy. He is also working as an Infectious Diseases Specialist at San Martino Polyclinic Hospital in Genoa and is a member of the directive committee of the Italian Society of Anti-Infective Therapy (SITA). His main fields of research are severe infections due to difficult-to-treat gram-negative bacteria and invasive fungal diseases, including use of artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms for predicting their diagnosis and prognosis. He is the author of more than 200 original articles or reviews in peer reviewed journals, and serves as editor, editorial board member and/or referee for a number of international scientific journals, including as a Section Editor for Annals of Medicine. Past member of the executive committee of the Critically Ill Patients Study Group of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID), he enjoys coordinating research projects and working in enthusiastic multicenter, multinational research groups.

Dr. José de la Fuente. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, Spain

José de la Fuente graduated in Physics at Moscow State University and University of Havana.  Ph.D. in Biology at University of Havana. Research career: Switzerland (Institute for Molecular Biology I, ETH, University of Zurich), Cuba (Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana), United States (Oklahoma State University, Stillwater) and Spain (IREC, Ciudad Real). Current position: Professor, SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Spain, and Adjunct Professor, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology. Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, U.S.A. Head of the Genomics, Proteomics & Biotechnology Lab. Forty years experience in research, education and as Principal Investigator in research projects. Over 800 published papers and 5 books edited. Patents: 36. PhD thesis supervised: 39. Current Research Interests: Molecular biology and biotechnology. Systems biology of host-vector-pathogen molecular interactions, and translation of this basic information into development of effective vaccines and other interventions for the control of infectious diseases affecting human and animal health worldwide. Ticks and tick-borne diseases. Alpha Gal Syndrome. Vaccinology and Quantum Vaccinomics.

Dr. Stefano Di Bella. Trieste University, Italy

Stefano Di Bella is an Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases at the University of Trieste, Italy, where he also serves as the Director of the Specialization School in Infectious and Tropical Diseases. He is the Head of the Infectious Diseases Unit at Trieste University Hospital, where he leads initiatives on rational antibiotic management and infectious disease care. Prof. Di Bella has extensive international experience, including research collaborations in Australia, the UK, and the US, focusing on antimicrobial stewardship and microbiota transplantation. His work emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to infectious disease management, with a strong focus on innovation, patient care, and the responsible use of antibiotics. Prof. Di Bella has authored numerous publications in high-impact journals on topics such as multidrug-resistant infections, sepsis, and the therapeutic synergy of antibiotics.

Disclosure statement: Dr Daniele Roberto Giacobbe declares that "outside this article collection, I report investigator-initiated grants from Shionogi, Pfizer, Gilead Italia, bioMérieux, Tillotts Pharma, Menarini, travel fees from Pfizer, and speaker/advisor fees from Pfizer, bioMérieux, Menarini, Tillotts Pharma, Advanz Pharma". No other Guest Advisor declares any potential conflict of interest.

Please review the journal scope and author submission instructions prior to submitting a manuscript.

Please be sure to select the appropriate Article Collection from the dropdown menu in the submission system. Please also select the Infectious Diseases section when asked about journal section during submission.

For questions or more information about APC discounts, please contact Commissioning Editor Francis Straw at francis.straw@tandf.co.uk