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Open research questions in Vector-Borne Animal Diseases

187 gap statements mined from Vector-Borne Animal Diseases papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 372 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • The lack of internationally standardized diagnostic protocol or commercial assay for OROV is a challenge. The increasing frequency of imported cases underscores the need for continued vigilance and preparedness measures.

    Oropouche Virus: An Emerging Arboviral Threat and Its Implications for Europe · 2025 · DOI

  • The review notes the need for synchronized cross-border strategies to reduce disease transmission.

    A Scoping Review on Progression Towards Freedom from Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) and the Role of the PPR Monitoring and Assessment Tool (PMAT) · 2025 · DOI

  • The lack of understanding of the ability of BTV-3 to cause abortions and congenital malformations in cattle. The need for anticipatory control strategies to prevent the spread of BTV-3. The importance of systematic abortion monitoring as an early warning system for BTV-3 epidemics.

    Cattle Abortions and Congenital Malformations Due to Bluetongue Virus Serotype 3 in Southern Belgium, 2024 · 2025 · DOI

  • There is a limited body of evidence regarding the reproductive consequences of BTV-3 in ruminants. The study aims to fill this gap by assessing the effect of natural BTV-3 infection on semen quality. The gap is specifically related to the impact of BTV-3 on male animals.

    Semen Quality in Rams Is Severely but Temporarily Affected by Bluetongue Virus Serotype 3 Infection · 2025 · DOI

  • It highlights the need to investigate the potential for the transmission of BTV-3 to carnivores.

    Fatal Bluetongue Virus Serotype 3 Infection in Female Dogs: A Case Report from Alentejo, Portugal, 2024 · 2025 · DOI

  • The control and elimination of VBPDs is difficult and challenging. There is a need to understand the impact of hematophagous insects on carrying pathogens to livestock.

    Molecular Detection of Hemoparasites in Hematophagous Insects Collected from Livestock Farms in Northeastern Thailand · 2025 · DOI

  • Limited availability of data on Culicoides species in Tengchong County. Challenge of analyzing the impact of weather data on midge abundance.

    Diversity and Seasonal Abundance of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Tengchong County of Yunnan, China · 2025 · DOI

  • Diagnosing congenital malformations in calves can be challenging due to the limited availability of clinical data. Detecting BTV-3 infection in calves can be difficult due to the need for specific diagnostic techniques.

    Congenital Malformations of the Central Nervous System Caused by Bluetongue Virus Serotype 3 (BTV-3) in Two Calves · 2025 · DOI

  • There is a lack of information regarding viremia and immunity after infection and vaccination during outbreaks. The study aims to address this gap by evaluating the viremic phase and humoral immune response against African horse sickness virus.

    The Viremic Phase and Humoral Immune Response Against African Horse Sickness Virus That Emerged in Thailand in 2020 · 2025 · DOI

  • Data on the size and distribution of the donkey population and the potential impact of infection with AHSV on donkeys within the United Kingdom are scarce.

    Culicoides biting midges ( Diptera: Ceratopogonidae ) feeding on donkeys in the United Kingdom , with reference to the risk of transmission and persistence of African horse sickness virus · 2026 · DOI

  • Despite improvements in diagnostic methods like RT-PCR, ELISAs, and metagenomics that have improved detection, challenges persist regarding standardisation, specificity, and access, particularly in remote and underserved areas. In the lack of targeted antiviral therapies or approved vaccines, existing prevention primarily depends on individual protective measures and vector management.

    The global outbreak of Oropouche virus: surveillance of global trends · 2026 · DOI

  • Distinguishing between active infections and genomic remnants of BFDV is a challenge. The high mutation rate of BFDV makes it difficult to interpret molecular diagnostic results. The study of BFDV in non-psittacine birds is complicated by the lack of understanding of the host range and potential spillover of the virus.

    Not an infection: Endogenous circoviral elements underlie BFDV detections in Old World vultures · 2026 · DOI

  • The study only examined a limited number of vulture species. The study did not investigate the presence of other circoviruses in the vulture samples. The study relied on PCR screening and phylogenetic analyses, which may not detect all instances of BFDV infection.

    Not an infection: Endogenous circoviral elements underlie BFDV detections in Old World vultures · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of long-term data on the occurrence of PaBV, BFDV, and APyV in parrots in Poland. There is a need to compare the occurrence of these viruses in Poland with extranational data.

    Occurrence of bornaviruses, circoviruses and polyomaviruses in necropsy samples from parrots in Poland (2014–2024) · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need to understand the risk factors associated with TiLV infection in hatcheries. There is a need to develop effective mitigation measures to reduce TiLV transmission.

    Risk Factors for Tilapia Lake Virus (TiLV) Infection in Hatcheries in Colombia · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigate the presence of other pathogens in hematophagous insects, - Examine the mechanical transmission of Anaplasma spp.

    Molecular Detection of Hemoparasites in Hematophagous Insects Collected from Livestock Farms in Northeastern Thailand · 2025 · DOI

  • The limited effectiveness of insecticides, - The difficulty in controlling the proliferation of Culicoides, - The potential for mutations of endemic…

    Management of Bluetongue Outbreaks: The Practitioner’s Perspective · 2026 · DOI

  • Ongoing epidemiological surveillance is fundamentally important, - The development of new vaccine platforms, such as the DISA vaccine, represents a promising new…

    Management of Bluetongue Outbreaks: The Practitioner’s Perspective · 2026 · DOI

  • Surveillance remains geographically uneven, - Available approaches have different limitations related to safety, duration of immunity, antigenic coverage and surveillance compatibility, - The proposed VP2 + VP7 + NS3 combination has not been experimentally…

    Capripoxvirus-based recombinant vaccine strategies for bluetongue and lumpy skin disease in cattle: current evidence, challenges, and prospects for Central Asia · 2026 · DOI

  • Further assessment of the proposed construct would need to address safety, replication, antigen expression, retention of LSDV protection, shedding, transmission and possible effects of IL-18, - Evidence on the parental strain does not establish the safety, genetic stability or efficacy of a recombinant expressing BTV…

    Capripoxvirus-based recombinant vaccine strategies for bluetongue and lumpy skin disease in cattle: current evidence, challenges, and prospects for Central Asia · 2026 · DOI

  • Co-circulation of multiple BTV serotypes - Spread of other Culicoides-borne diseases, such as EHDV - Limited understanding of the impact of BTV-3 circulation on ruminant farming - Difficulty in estimating direct and indirect costs…

    Impact of BTV-3 Circulation in Belgium in 2024 and Current Knowledge Gaps Hindering an Evidence-Based Control Program · 2025 · DOI

  • Further study on the species composition and abundance of Culicoides in other regions of China, - Investigation of the role of Culicoides in the transmission…

    Diversity and Seasonal Abundance of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Tengchong County of Yunnan, China · 2025 · DOI

  • Limited awareness of BTV infection in carnivores, - Nonspecific clinical signs, - Absence of established diagnostic protocols for non-ruminant species, - Limited understanding of the role of carnivores in BTV epidemiology, - Inadequate characterization of transmission…

    Bluetongue’s New Frontier—Are Dogs at Risk? · 2025 · DOI

  • Systematic serological and virological surveys of domestic and wild carnivores in endemic regions, - Investigation of viral persistence in carnivores following consumption of infected material, - Evaluation of whether carnivores can subsequently further transmit the virus to susceptible hosts or vectors, - Examination of the potential role of carnivores as mechanical or biological…

    Bluetongue’s New Frontier—Are Dogs at Risk? · 2025 · DOI

  • The study only examined two calves, - The dams were not protected by specific vaccines against BTV-3 at the time of infection, - Clinical data for Calf 1 was limited due to its death shortly after…

    Congenital Malformations of the Central Nervous System Caused by Bluetongue Virus Serotype 3 (BTV-3) in Two Calves · 2025 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Vector-Borne Animal Diseases

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) Data on the size and distribution of the donkey population and the potential impact of infection with AHSV on donkeys within the United Kingdom are scarce (“Culicoides biting midges ( Diptera: Ceratopogonidae ) feeding on donkeys in the…”, 2026); (2) In the lack of targeted antiviral therapies or approved vaccines, existing prevention primarily depends on individual protective measures and vector management (“The global outbreak of Oropouche virus: surveillance of global trends”, 2026); (3) The study of BFDV in non-psittacine birds is complicated by the lack of understanding of the host range and potential spillover of the virus (“Not an infection: Endogenous circoviral elements underlie BFDV detections in…”, 2026); (4) There is a lack of long-term data on the occurrence of PaBV, BFDV, and APyV in parrots in Poland (“Occurrence of bornaviruses, circoviruses and polyomaviruses in necropsy samples…”, 2026); (5) There is a need to understand the risk factors associated with TiLV infection in hatcheries (“Risk Factors for Tilapia Lake Virus (TiLV) Infection in Hatcheries in Colombia”, 2026). 187 gap statements have been mined from Vector-Borne Animal Diseases papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 372 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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