First paper published in new DISCONTOOLS & STAR IDAZ Collection

The first paper in the new BMC Veterinary Research article Collection “DISCONTOOLS & STAR IDAZ research gaps for infectious disease control in animals” has now been published.

The article, Diagnostic gap analysis in animal health through combining public databases by Elhachimi, Ciria and Charlier (2026), presents a novel methodology for identifying diagnostic research gaps in animal health by integrating information from publicly available databases. The study demonstrates how structured, evidence-based approaches can support priority setting and guide investment in the development of new diagnostic tools for infectious animal diseases.

The Collection brings together narrative reviews informed by DISCONTOOLS and the STAR IDAZ International Research Consortium (IRC). DISCONTOOLS is an open-access database that identifies gaps in knowledge related to diagnostics, vaccines and pharmaceuticals across more than 50 infectious animal diseases, supporting research funders and policy makers in evidence-based decision-making. STAR IDAZ IRC coordinates international animal health research by aligning funders and programme owners around shared research roadmaps targeting priority livestock diseases.

By drawing on expert working groups from both initiatives, the Collection aims to highlight critical research gaps, provide scientific justification for targeted research, and support the development of innovative strategies for infectious disease prevention and control in animals.

All manuscripts included in the Collection are subject to the journal’s standard editorial policies and peer-review process.

🔗 Read the paper: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-025-05259-w