Guest Editors

• Egil Fischer, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
• Simon Firestone, University of Melbourne, Australia
• Gustavo Machado, North Carolina State University, USA
• Leatitia Canini, ANSES, France

Modelling in animal health: Better understanding of and informing decision making for animal health and welfare 

Animal health and welfare face daily threats from infectious diseases caused by a diverse array of pathogens. The epidemiology and ecology of these diseases are shaped by factors such as the interface between livestock and wildlife, climate change, farming practices, land use, and mobility. Animal diseases impact both wild and domesticated animals,  terrestrial and aquatic, vertebrates and non-vertebrates alike. 
To better understand how infectious diseases spread through populations and what we can do to control them, we rely on the descriptive and predictive power of data-driven, phenomenological, and mechanistic models. These models enable researchers to interpret sparse and heterogeneous data such as for wildlife diseases, to predict the effects of interventions such as vaccination, to disentangle complex processes such as the interplay between pathogens and the immune system, and to enhance monitoring, such as for emerging infectious diseases. This requires the synthesis of available knowledge on biological systems to address scenarios across multiple scales: within-host, within-population, in meta-populations and in species communities.

Despite advances in computational tools, epidemiological methods and artificial intelligence, methodological challenges persist in developing robust, integrative models that are both accurate and actionable for disease control. In response to these challenges, researchers are pioneering innovative modelling approaches to  support the management of infectious diseases with impacts on animal, human, and planetary health. 

The Modelling in Animal Health 4th (ModAH4) international conference served as an international platform for scientists to exchange ideas and methodologies at the intersection of veterinary epidemiology, disease ecology, applied mathematics, computer science, and statistics. Building on the conference’s presentations, this Special Series in Veterinary Research aims to provide comprehensive coverage of the latest advancements in animal health modelling, showcasing up-to-date research and interdisciplinary collaboration.

This themed collection will be open for submissions from 1st September 2026 to the 30th June 2027