Climate-sensitive zoonotic diseases transmissible by companion animals: A scoping review protocol

PLOS One | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0325568 June 10, 2025 1 / 8 OPEN ACCESS Citation: Hobson S, Mallare J, Grieve H, Weese JS, Grant LE (2025) Climate-sensitive zoonotic diseases transmissible by companion animals: A scoping review protocol. PLOS One 20(6): e0325568. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0325568 Editor: Asokan Govindaraj Vaithinathan, University of Bahrain, BAHRAIN Received: June 17, 2024 Accepted: May 14, 2025 Published: June 10, 2025 Peer Review History: PLOS recognizes the benefits of transparency in the peer review process; therefore, we enable the publication of all of the content of peer review and author responses alongside final, published articles. The editorial history of this article is available here: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0325568 Copyright: © 2025 Hobson et al . This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, STUDY PROTOCOL Climate-sensitive zoonotic diseases transmissible by companion animals: A scoping review protocol Samantha Hobson 1, John Mallare1, Heather Grieve 1, J. Scott Weese2, Lauren E. Grant 1* 1 Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, 2 Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada * laugrant@uoguelph.ca Abstract Objective This joint protocol describes two scoping reviews that will identify and describe evi-

dence for climate sensitivity of companion animal zoonotic diseases in cat, dog, and human populations worldwide. Introduction Climate change is a driver for emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases of global health concern. Companion animals can transmit over 70 zoonotic pathogens, some of which are sensitive to changes in meteorological factors. There is disparate evi- dence in our understanding of climate-sensitive companion animal zoonotic diseases. Inclusion criteria Primary research articles that describe 1) an association or effect between meteo- rological factors and the risk of zoonotic disease, 2) the presence of spatiotemporal variations in disease incidence or prevalence, or 3) the projected impacts of climate emission scenarios on disease trends will be included. Methods A comprehensive search strategy was developed using index terms and keywords for populations of interest, companion animal zoonotic diseases, and meteoro- logical factors. Articles will be searched on MEDLINE (via Ovid), AGRICOLA (via ProQuest), and Web of Science. Additional articles will be identified using citation tracking. Independent reviewers will systematically apply a two-step study screening process based on defined eligibility criteria. Key study characteristics and findings