Temporal dynamics of zoonotic disease reports in wild animals over a decade (2014-2024)

Zoonotic disease surveillance in wildlife is essential for both public and animal health, as case reports enable the identification of unusual clinical events and emerging pathogens. This study evaluated case reports and case series on zoonotic infections in wild animals published between 2014 and 2024 in the PubMed, SciELO, DOAJ, and ScienceDirect databases. A total of 34 articles were included, and their data were organized according to temporal, geographic, taxonomic and etiological distribution. Temporal variation was analyzed using a paired t-test, comparing the pre- and post-COVID-19 periods. A statistically significant difference was observed between the periods (p = 0.0491), with an increase in the annual mean number of publications after 2020. The highest frequencies were recorded in 2024 (25%) and 2021 (15.63%). The Americas accounted for 38% of the reports. Mammals represented 88% of the described cases, and bacterial zoonoses were the most frequent (38%), followed by parasitic infections (35%). These findings highlight temporal shifts in reporting patterns and reinforce the importance of systematic zoonotic disease surveillance in wildlife within the One Health framework.