The Web of Science Core Collection’s ESCI serves as an important gateway for emerging journals that exhibit promising scholarly influence and quality, offering such journals a global stage to amplify their visibility and accessibility. For researchers and professionals invested in zoonotic diseases—those illnesses transmissible between animals and humans—this development ensures that Zoonoses will be more easily discovered, cited, and integrated within the broader scientific narrative, facilitating cross-disciplinary collaboration and knowledge expansion.

As a scholarly venue, Zoonoses occupies a unique interdisciplinary niche, engaging experts from infectious disease biology, veterinary medicine, epidemiology, ecology, public health, and environmental sciences. The journal’s commitment extends to elucidating the complex pathways by which zoonotic pathogens emerge and spread, emphasizing One Health frameworks to devise comprehensive disease surveillance, prevention, and control strategies. The ESCI inclusion thus augments the journal’s ability to serve as an authoritative forum for critical scientific discourse that bridges gaps between veterinary sciences and human medicine.

From a technical perspective, ESCI’s inclusion criteria demand exemplary editorial management, transparent peer review processes, and adherence to ethical standards—factors that enhance the journal’s reliability and scholarly merit. In turn, these criteria ensure that the output of Zoonoses adheres to best practices, minimizing issues such as data fabrication, plagiarism, and conflicts of interest. This rigorous validation contributes to the confidence with which researchers and policymakers can rely on its publications when shaping interventions and health policies.

Importantly, the ESCI platform extends the discoverability of Zoonoses across multiple indexing services and databases, catalyzing citation potential and global academic engagement. Over time, such dissemination is expected to bolster the journal’s impact factor and further cement its reputation within biomedical and ecological research communities. The increased reach fosters interdisciplinary dialogue, critical for addressing the multifaceted challenges posed by zoonotic pathogens in an era characterized by rapidly evolving infectious threats.

Zoonoses is designed not only for researchers but also for clinicians, veterinarians, public health practitioners, and governmental agencies dedicated to zoonotic disease mitigation. Its open-access model ensures that vital information is freely available, breaking down barriers imposed by traditional paywalls. The unrestricted access to cutting-edge findings promotes rapid translation of research outputs into evidence-based practices, which are essential for timely response to emerging infectious disease outbreaks.

Furthermore, the journal embraces an international outlook, curating articles that reflect diverse epidemiological contexts and One Health narratives from across the globe. As zoonoses often reveal dynamic transmission patterns influenced by ecological, socio-economic, and cultural variables, this internationalism enriches the scientific discourse and fosters collaborative solutions. ESCI coverage will further amplify this global inclusivity by standardizing access and indexing in key scholarly platforms.

Editorial leadership and publisher collaboration are pivotal in maintaining the trajectory of Zoonoses as a premier research journal. Compuscript Publishing underscores its commitment to continuous support for the journal’s growth by providing robust publishing infrastructure, expert editorial assistance, and strategic outreach. Leveraging advanced digital tools and ethical governance, the publisher aims to enhance submission workflows, streamline peer review, and promote the highest quality publications that address pressing global health concerns.

Researchers worldwide interested in contributing to Zoonoses can access comprehensive author guidelines and submission procedures through the journal’s official website. The absence of submission or article processing charges removes financial barriers, encouraging participation from a wide spectrum of authors, including those from resource-constrained settings. This inclusive approach democratizes scientific communication and fosters a diverse authorship reflective of the global scientific community.

Moreover, Zoonoses maintains a strong presence on influential academic and social platforms such as ScienceOpen, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other networks, facilitating engagement with broader interdisciplinary stakeholders. These channels support the journal’s mission by promoting published research, fostering discussions, and connecting healthcare professionals, researchers, and policymakers in real time. This strategic dissemination is crucial for rapidly evolving zoonotic disease knowledge landscapes.

The journal’s editorial board, composed of esteemed experts in infectious diseases, veterinary sciences, epidemiology, and related fields, guides the scientific direction of Zoonoses with expertise and integrity. Their stewardship ensures the publication of cutting-edge, methodologically sound research that advances understanding of zoonotic pathogens and disease control. This leadership is critical as the journal scales new heights following ESCI indexing.

Finally, the acceptance of Zoonoses into the Web of Science ESCI is a pivotal moment in reinforcing its status as an international, open-access repository of high-impact zoonotic disease research. As global health challenges continue to evolve with increasing frequency and complexity, the journal stands at the forefront of scientific communication—uniting disciplines, fostering innovation, and supporting informed policy-making in the quest to safeguard planetary health.

Subject of Research: Zoonotic diseases, One Health, infectious disease epidemiology, veterinary medicine, public health, disease surveillance and prevention

News Publication Date: Not provided

Web References:

• Journal Website: https://zoonoses-journal.org
• ScienceOpen Collection: https://www.scienceopen.com/search#collection/839df240-327f-47dd-b636-9b728dff9700
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZoonosesJ
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/zoonoses/

Keywords: Zoonoses, zoonotic diseases, One Health, infectious disease research, epidemiology, veterinary medicine, public health, disease surveillance, ESCI, open-access journal

The research team conducted an exhaustive meta-analysis of 312 studies examining the transmission risks of 39 different pathogens and diseases, all transmitted either by infected animals or by vectors such as mosquitoes. Strikingly, only 7.4% of these studies thoroughly accounted for all three critical components of risk: hazard, exposure, and vulnerability. This reveals a significant gap in how risk is scientifically conceptualized and operationalized, with many studies focusing narrowly on a single dimension, such as vector abundance, thereby limiting the reliability of models that inform public health decisions.

In technical terms, “hazard” refers to the presence or prevalence of zoonotic hosts, vectors, or reservoirs that harbor pathogens capable of infection. “Exposure” is the probability that humans will come into contact with these hazards, modulated by behavioral, ecological, and social variables. “Vulnerability” further incorporates the likelihood that, once exposed, individuals or groups will be infected, reflecting biological susceptibilities or other risk amplifiers. The researchers emphasize that it is the intersection of these three factors that constitutes the true risk landscape, a complexity frequently overlooked in isolated assessments.

Raquel Carvalho, the study’s lead author and a researcher at BIOTA Synthesis, highlights the lack of standardization in methodologies as a fundamental obstacle. For instance, a study assessing dengue risk might solely measure mosquito abundance, while another might focus on human exposure patterns such as outdoor activity frequency. Such inconsistencies undermine the predictive power of models and consequently impair strategic efforts for early detection and localized interventions. This heterogeneity in risk assessment frameworks leads to divergent and sometimes contradictory policy recommendations.

The study’s findings carry profound implications for spatial planning and resource allocation in public health. Overlooking any component of the risk triad—hazard, exposure, vulnerability—not only skews risk maps but can also foster misdirected management strategies. For example, prioritizing insecticide applications purely based on vector presence without considering human exposure patterns may waste resources and fail to curb transmission effectively. Conversely, neglecting vulnerability factors may leave at-risk populations dangerously exposed despite apparent low hazard levels.

The research team also played a pivotal role in informing the recently proposed State Plan for Climate Adaptation and Resilience (PEARC) in São Paulo, which integrates these refined concepts of risk assessment into its framework. PEARC’s nuanced delineation between hazard, exposure, and vulnerability forms a scientific cornerstone for climate adaptation strategies, aiming to mitigate the compounded threat of environmental change on zoonotic and vector-borne diseases. This work underscores the intersectionality of ecological and social dimensions in managing climate-related health risks.

One compelling example highlighted is the differential risk profiles of dengue compared to hantavirus infections. Dengue, transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, correlates strongly with high human population density and anthropogenic water storage practices that facilitate breeding. Here, exposure and vulnerability are heightened, necessitating targeted vector control and public education campaigns. In contrast, hantavirus presence in wild rodent populations poses a lower risk in sparsely populated rural areas due to limited human contact, illustrating why detection of pathogens alone should not be equated with elevated transmission danger.

The article calls for international research realignment to bolster efforts in tropical regions, where zoonotic and vector-borne diseases present heightened challenges due to biodiversity richness and climate sensitivity. The authors advocate for dedicated funding channels and enhanced international collaboration aimed at standardizing risk methodologies and expanding surveillance capacity. Such cooperation is deemed critical to preemptively address emerging infections aggravated by shifting environmental conditions.

Another vital recommendation pertains to improving the surveillance infrastructure, including laboratory networks for diagnosing zoonoses and vector-borne infections. The current inadequacy in wildlife pathogen monitoring represents a significant blind spot, as animal hosts serve as reservoirs that can spill over to humans. Enhancing diagnostic capabilities and data sharing frameworks would facilitate timely identification of outbreak precursors, thus enabling more agile public health responses.

The study further highlights the intertwined relationship between water security and vector-borne diseases. Erratic or inefficient water distribution often compels communities to store water unsafely, inadvertently creating breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Rationalizing water management is presented as a key preventive measure that addresses one of the root environmental drivers of disease proliferation. Moreover, it aligns with broader sustainability goals and climate adaptation policies, reinforcing the multi-sectoral nature of effective disease control.

Carvalho’s work also exemplifies the value of interdisciplinary and international training, having involved an internship at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. This global perspective enriches the research approach by incorporating diverse scientific paradigms and strengthening networks for knowledge exchange. Presently, Carvalho continues her investigations as a professor in the Department of Zoology at the Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, contributing to the translational potential of this integrative framework.

Ultimately, this study shines a powerful spotlight on the necessity of holistic, standardized approaches to assessing and managing the risks posed by zoonotic and vector-borne diseases in an era of profound environmental upheaval. By bridging ecological, behavioral, and social dimensions through integrative methodologies, policymakers and scientists can forge more effective, adaptive, and equitable strategies. In doing so, they confront not only the immediate biological threats but also the broader challenges of global change.

Subject of Research: Risk assessment of zoonotic and vector-borne diseases in relation to environmental change and climate impacts

Article Title: Unpacking the risks of zoonotic and vector-borne pathogen transmission to humans in the context of environmental change

News Publication Date: 23-Jun-2025

Web References:

• Journal Article DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2025.101348
• BIOTA Synthesis: https://biotasintese.iea.usp.br/
• São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP): https://www.fapesp.br/en

Keywords: Risk assessment, Disease outbreaks, Infectious diseases, Public policy, Zoonoses, Mosquitoes, Climate change effects